Most dreaded South Sudan’s Mundari chief rustlers can’t dare him
A beehive of activity driven by peace and reconciliation efforts seized Hai Police in Tarekeka County, Equatoria State, on January 15.
Here, the Mundari cattle keepers narrated their sad tales during the wave of insecurity where lives and lost and animals stolen in numbers.
Anger and anxiety were. Every speaker took to the podium to express a tell-all experience as the government engaged the elders for a lasting remedy of peace. Chiefs from the 11 payams stood up for their people and every victim documented his losses. But one man stood out- Paul Ladu Guber, the chief Tijor.
Standing in in excess of six feet, and donning brown checked cloth, Paul was common in the lips of other cattle keepers as the man blamed for their woes. He sat calmly and was guarded by his associates. When his time to speak clocked, Paul stood up amidst salutes from his cronies as other cattle herders escorted him with stares and whispers.
Stands accused
Paul denied having taken part in cattle raids and told off his accusers to desist from making baseless claims.
“All these people [being] remorseful saying Paul has taken their cows, it is not true. I have not taken anyone’s cows. Instead I helped some of the people to get their cows back. Infact, they should be happy that I didn’t join the fight because I would fight them all,” he said to the gathering that had sunk into silence.
According to a source who spoke on anonymity, Paul enjoys charisma and intimidating in equal measure, but he is also the most dreaded cattle keeper. His bravery is unmatched and his arms are far much longer courtesy of his able bodyguards. He retrieves his cattle when lost against all odds.
He hit at the law enforcers for doing very little to eliminate cattle rustling that he said had brought insecurity in the area. According to him, he did not want to participate in the fight that ensued in October 2020 because the results would have been deadly.
“I know the person who has taken the cattle from Gore and if any person took cattle from Rigo then I know the chief accountable because I didn’t go to fight and I didn’t take anyone’s cows,” he said.
It degenerated into full-blown platform of accusations after Paul blasted the chiefs and accused them of stealing cattle only to show up at the conference and point him out.
He said scarcity of water points and grazing land are some of the contributors of the ugly fight. He was optimistic that the conference organised by Impact Response Committee (IRC) would provide the beginning for peaceful coexistence.
“…all of us who are present here have all agreed that we return all the stolen cows to the owners and we have also accepted that we put all our cows together in this way we can have peace.
“We are now joined together and for those who have not accepted peace, that’s upon them as for me I have let out all the issues in my mind and heart…I am now clean,” he told City Review.
