South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
Authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area are pinning their hopes for justice on the current search operation conducted by security operatives to locate the assailants responsible for last week’s attack on the Mogiri cattle market.
Jacob Werchum Juok, the Minister of Information and Communication for the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, stated that the ongoing search operation will assist authorities in identifying and apprehending the suspects.
“There is an active search by security forces to find those who committed this crime. Investigations are ongoing, both in Mogiri and in nearby areas where it is suspected the attackers originated,” Juok said in an interview on Wednesday.
“Our expectation is that those criminals who participated in this act will be apprehended and brought to court to explain why they attacked the cattle traders travelling from Greater Pibor to Mogiri,” he added.
On August 6, 2025, unknown armed assailants attacked the cattle market in Mogiri, Central Equatoria State, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, including six Murle cattle traders and two soldiers, with eight others injured.
A Mogiri resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, revealed that a relative had been detained by security forces in connection with the incident. Attempts to reach Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the army spokesman, for comment were unsuccessful by press time.
Juok urged the youth from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area and neighbouring states, including Jonglei, Central Equatoria, and Eastern Equatoria, to avoid violence and focus on their normal business activities.
“War will never lead us anywhere; we must work towards peace and reconciliation to boost our economy and engage in productive activities rather than resorting to violence, hijacking, and ambushes on the road,” he said.
Juok also mentioned that eyewitnesses of the attack indicated that the assailants came from the direction of Mangala and other nearby locations, adding that the specifics of the incident will depend on the outcomes of the security investigation.
“We do not know the identities of those apprehended, and we have not yet received the names of the suspects. What we do know is that security forces are actively searching for these criminals to identify them,” Juok explained.
“At this point, we cannot definitively say where the attackers came from. What we know is that armed men have assaulted the area, and an investigation has been launched to determine their identities and origins,” he concluded.
