Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony on Thursday dispatched a team of state cabinet ministers and security personnel to cattle camps in kajo keji, Morobo, Yei, and Lainya counties to persuade pastoralists from Bor in Jonglei State to return home with their cattle.
Speaking from the Jamara area in Lainya County, the state minister of local government and law enforcement agencies, Genesio Moro, said their mission to the cattle camps was to implement President Salva Kiir’s order that cattle go back to their places of origin.
“We are currently in a cattle camp between Jamara and Pakula in Yei River County and came here following the order from the president who directed all the governors to move the cattle to their places of origin,” he said. “Governor Emmanuel Adil brought us from Juba and took us to Kajo Keji, Morobo, Yei, and now we are in Lainya County.”
Minister Moro said that if the pastoralists refuse to leave the state, then force shall be used as a last resort.
“If they do not want to move, we shall use the available force to move them but that will be the last option,” he said. “Our first option is to approach them peacefully and if they resist, we will use the forces you see here and we are doing our job.”
Moro also urged the people who deserted their homes due to the presence of pastoralists and their herds to return.
“We call upon them to go back to their areas of residence and have instructed the cattle keepers not to destroy or take people’s properties on their way,” he said.
Since the beginning of the year, the communities in Central Equatoria State who are involved in subsistence agriculture have been calling for the removal of cattle from their areas.
The state team that is visiting cattle camps comprises state ministers of peacebuilding, members of parliament, the commissioners of Juba and Yei counties, and the SSPDF commanders in the areas.