South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
South Sudan First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has said the government has failed to evacuate pastoralists from greater Equatoria region where intermittent clashes between farmers and pastoralists are still ongoing.
“The government has been struggling to move pastoralists from land that are occupied by people who do farming,” Machar said during the opening of the review of the Local Government Act and the Land Act in Juba on Wednesday.
“Since 2005 we moved people and took them to where they originated from and it took days to see them back moving with their cattle,” he added.
Most cattle in Equatoria arrived from Jonglei State escaping intercommunal violence and cattle raid and more recently heavy floods caused by climate Change.
It has led to escalation of conflicts with farmers in the Equatoria region.
In 2015, South Sudan President Salva Kiir declared that the cattle owners must return home, then again in 2015. But cattle owners argue that with floods, they lack pasture back home and risks losing their livelihoods.
He said the government needs to regulate land to attract investors and also to end incessant land grabs.
Ruben Madol Arol, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said they are reviewing the transitional constitution to conform to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
“The government of South Sudan through the council of ministers has approved the land policy, we need to enhance and also position the land policy with regard to review of laws,” he said.
Arol said they are about to start reviewing the 2011 transitional constitution in order to conform to the provisions of the revitalized agreement.
