18 May 2013 - Seeking to prevent cattle raiding and the killing of innocent civilians, a group of parliamentarians from Lakes State visited Unity today to discuss border security with their counterparts.

Led byLakes Advisor for Border Elizabeth Poth Domich, the delegation was following up on recommendations put forth during a teleconference last month between the two states and Warrap.

During today's meeting, parliamentarians from border constituencies in Unity and Lakes agreed to return raided cattle.

"We agreed that rounding up of cattle raided and returning them to rightful owners should be ... practiced by the governments of the two states," said Unity State legislator Peter Dak Kan.

The meeting also recommended that the governors of Lakes, Unity and Warrap carry out peaceful disarmament in their respective areas simultaneously, that police be immediately deployed along the three borders and a border court created.

At last month's teleconference, Lakes State lawmaker Isaac Makur Buoc called on Unity and Warrap \to follow the example of his legislative assembly, which had passed a bill requiring residents to register all firearms in their possession.

The legislation also confers more powers on state and county authorities to disarm anyone who does not comply with the bill or has engaged in cattle raids and other violent crimes.

"To end this cattle rustling, we need to put some laws in place," said Mr. Buoc. "I am appealing to you ... to urgently create laws that will forbid the civilian population from carrying arms... as we did here in Lakes State."

Last month's teleconference was facilitated by UNMISS as part of the mission's mandate to support peace building tasks throughout the country.