TORIT – The office of Eastern Equatoria Governor Louis Lobong has confirmed that Ethiopia will soon release 22 youths who were arrested in December over alleged crossborder cattle theft.
The youths had crossed to Ethiopia through Kauto-Eastern Equatoria and were caught red handed stealing cows of the neighboring Ethiopian indegenous Surma Tribe.
Initially 42 in total, they were then detained in Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia before some escaped.
Governor Lobong travelled to Addis Ababa in December 2024 with a South Sudan diplomatic delegation to appeal for the release of his detained youths.
On 23rd December 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the 27 youths were in the custody of the Federal Police of FDRE.
“Some of them were reported to have escaped from the first detention area before they were transferred to Mizam Teferi,” said the governor’s office.
The Embassy of South Sudan to Ethiopia was then asked to follow up on the process of facilitation of these youth to South Sudan and work with the state Governor to notify the families and strengthen community governance to prevent such incidents from occuring in the near future.
“The community of Kauto presented remorse for the for the bad act by the youth and committed to speak to the youth not go stealing/raiding from the neighbors.
“They thanked the state government for taking the step to reach to the Ethiopian government to seek for the release of their children.”
“Since then, the state government has been in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to gather resources to transport these youth From Ethiopia to Eastern Kapoeta -Equatoria state via Juba according to the protocol.”
