Armed pastoralists from Terekeka County have left Lainya County of Central Equatoria State after the state government gave them a 72-hour ultimatum to vacate the area in the quest for peace and stability.
Over the last two months, the cattle herders from Terekeka County have clashed with local farmers in several payams of Lainya County resulting in the deaths of more than 10 people. Over 3,000 civilians have been displaced into the bushes of Kenyi, Wuji, and Kupera Payams.
Lainya County commissioner Emmanuel Khamis Noah told Radio Tamazuj that the armed pastoralists have left four Payams of the county this week.
“I can now confirm that the four Payams are now free of the Mundari cattle keepers and in the last 48 hours there are no cases of killings, looting, and new displacements. The Mundari cattle keepers moved out of Mukaya, Kenyi, Kupera, and Wuji Payams,” Khamis said. “They are now free of these cattle keepers and this complies with the directives for all the cattle keepers to leave the county. After all the cattle keepers leave the area, we need to recover the looted cattle of the local communities and also need justice and accountability.”
James Lino, the Terekeka County Commissioner said that he is on the ground in Lainya County to monitor and ensure that the cattle herders leave.
“I have come to Lainya County to ensure that the Mundari cattle herders return to Terekeka County and we will ensure that all the raided cattle from Yei, Lainya, Morobo, and Kajo-Keji County by the Mundari cattle herder are handed back to the rightful owners,” Lino said. “We don’t want to have problems between the people of Lainya and Terekeka counties. I can confirm to you that the cattle herders have now crossed out of Lainya County and we shall ensure that they all reach Terekeka County.”
Central Equatoria State governor, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, called on the two communities from the two neighboring counties to remain calm and not to take the law into their hands.
“We have called for calm because the Mundari and the Pojulu have co-existed as one people and there is no need to generalize that there was a fight between the two communities and we are going to address this cattle theft issue as a government,” Governor Adil said.