The commissioner of Maridi County in Western Equatoria State has directed that herders and their cattle, primarily from Bor County in Jonglei State, vacate Langua Boma in the county’s Mambe Payam within seven days.
Commissioner Alfred Mirri Mathias gave the ultimatum during a meeting in Langua Payam to resolve conflicts between local farmers and cattle keepers. He emphasized that his directive was issued in consultation with the state government to ease tensions between farmers and pastoralists.
“This is an order and we have given them (herders) seven days to leave. So, I do not want to hear that there is a problem between cattle herders and farmers in Langua Payam,” Commissioner Mirri said. “If the cows came from a particular route when they entered Maridi, they must return to Bor in Jonglei State using the same route.”
“The chief of the group (herders) must inform their youth that we do not want any problem and tell them that the smoke that is billowing in that area is a sign that there is firewood burning there,” he added.
The commissioner urged the pastoralists from Bor to surrender their illegal firearms to the government as they have no enemies in the area.
“Those who have guns in this cattle camp, the gun you have is not intended to be fired anyhow. If we are all one people, what makes me walk with guns? Where or who is the enemy? There is no enemy,” Mirri said. “The people of Lakes State, which is close by, have handed in their guns to the government already. Why don’t you want to hand in your guns? What problems do you have with the government?”
For his part, Deng Abraham, the chief of Dinka Bor cattle herders, expressed their readiness to move away from farmlands but said the rising water levels of a river in Mundri, which claimed the life of one of their youth last month, has hindered their efforts.
“We shall move these cattle far away from homes. What brought these cattle here is the river in Mundri which is now full,” he said. “In October, while trying to cross the river, the water took and killed one of our boys. We are waiting until the water level reduces, then we shall leave.”
Meanwhile, Mambe Payam Administrator Charles William Taku highlighted that his area is currently grappling with a problem involving three different groups of cattle keepers from the Dinka Bor, Mundari, and Ambororo.
In June, Western Equatoria State Governor Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba issued a one-week ultimatum for nomadic pastoralists to leave the state with all their cattle.