Members of the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly Wednesday called on politicians and leaders from Jonglei State to urge their cattle keepers to immediately evacuate the region for the sake of peace in the country.
At least 19 people were killed in Lokiliri payam of Juba County last weekend by cattle herders allegedly from Jonglei State, causing massive displacement to Juba and neighboring Uganda.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the atrocities and criminality committed by the herders on innocent civilians that result in the loss of lives and destruction of properties in Aru and Odema payam of Lokiliri, Kit-1 payam of Lobonok, Wonduruba payam of Juba County and Lainya country respectively,” the assembly speaker Peter Wani Elia said while addressing the press in Juba.
The MPs also urged, ‘the political and community leaders of Jonglei state to reign on their people causing havoc in Central Equatoria State to stop the act immediately and urge them to return to their place of origin in the interest of peace and unity of the people of South Sudan.’
“We call on the immediate removal and evacuation of all pastoralists and their cattle camps in Central Equatoria and urge the enforcement of the 2017 presidential order on the removal and relocation of cattle camps in the Equatoria region as well the 2017 gubernatorial order reinforcing the same,” he added.
The MPs further urged the security agencies to implement the orders without compromise.
Wani in his address also sent condolences to the affected families and called for urgent intervention by relief agencies.