29/05/2025
Nation Talks
May 29, 2025
The Menace cattle raids, insecurity on Nation.
By Maker Mangol Acien Yuol
Early this year, I had the opportunity of travelling to Cueibet County, Lakes state, but most unfortunately, I was unable to handle challenges the communities face.
Having visited Duony, Abiriu, Mayath and Achol Malek Payams, I interacted with the people there and I observed so many things in the County. I also gathered information about how Pagor, Tiap-Tiap, Malou-Pec, Nyap and Citcok Payams.
The perplexity is the magnitude of cattle raids and insecurity caused by the practice among the communities in these areas.
Anyar Nyuan Community verses Waat Adol Community and Agar community verses Gok Community. Gok Community and Tonj, keep on attacking each other to secure cattle and property.
Besides cattle raid insecurity, killing of innocent people are intertwined. Social fabric keeps eroding as the practice continues.
Infrastructural development and connectivity of our people with the County and state government have been very poor, as I witnessed.
I experienced a lot of things while interacting with the people, who shared their interests, such that they would be served by the government. The expectations or demands of the people for services, remain unfulfilled.
They could ask so many questions related to my educational background and the fields I studied. Some people also continued to ask where I am going to work as I am done with education.
As I gave the narrative on my education and the fields I studied, they were very happy after knowing how important engineering is in the world of today’s affairs. While relating me with Amb. Eng. Chol Tong’s work, though they made some U-turn narrative so quick whether I can be able to construct or build the road Connecting Abiriu or Mayath to Duony, Pagor, Tiap-Tiap and Malou-Pec.
Indeed, this road needs resources for my skills and ability to be applied voluntarily without payment, as our people, all over the country, lose many lives and property due to inaccessibility of health care centers and poor connectivity between communities, counties and states where they can access better services.
The people are so tired of carrying patients, more especially those injured in conflicts, on their backs or use clothes tied on woods, on long distances of 35 km to 75 km on foot, to health centers.
Incase of Lakes State, for instance, they travel from Abiriu health care Unit, Abyicok health care Unit, Mayath health care Unit to Cueibet County Hospital, and then to Rumbek Civil Hospital, if the case can’t be handled at Payams or county facilities. In this process, the patient is likely to die before reaching the health care centers.
A patient who died at Cueibet County Hospital due to lack of quick response, was a typical example.
Elderly persons, children, people with disabilities and women, who are vulnerable, always bear the brut. After traveling long distances on foot under scorching sun heat or being drenched by rain, patients some times encounter lack of drugs at the health facilities.
These roads could save lots of lives if built and indeed communities of Gok that are settling in those areas face some heavy challenges that re**rd their development. It re**rds their economic growth since they have resources like cows, goats, sheep chicken, wild products such as honey, some trees that have fruits like ‘Leng’, ‘Thou’ and cultivation of crops such as groundnuts, sorghum, among others.
These products, if feeder roads were available and secure to transport them to markets in Cueibet, Rumbek, Wau, Juba and also across the country would boost the national economy.
Alas, our own actions, the cattle raids, road attacks and cyclic communal conflicts are key impediments to progress. Only prevalences of peace and security for travellers and residents alike, would enable us to enjoy full benefits of the independence of our nation.
When the youth, who were supposed to be the engine of development are engaged in retrogressive activities like cattle raids and communal conflict, then, the give reason for the government to divert funds elsewhere or even to quell insecurity.
There are a lot of things needed in Gok, as I travelled to visit the people. Our people are suffering seriously in our watch.
However, let’s first, clean our own hands of violence and conflicts, before raising them to God and government, for help.
As we ask Almighty God and the government to liberate us from poverty, let’s liberate our hands from cattle raids, attacks and communal conflicts.
By Maker Mangol Acien Yuol  Early this year, I had the opportunity of travelling to Cueibet County, Lakes state, but most unfortunately, I was unable to handle challenges the communities face…
