South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Governor of Central Equatoria State, Gen. Rabi Mujung Emmanuel, announced on Monday that plans are underway to regulate cattle movement in order to reduce conflicts.
Gen. Mujung disclosed this during the launch of a two-day High-Level Conference on cattle migration in Central Equatoria State, held in Juba.
“We will strengthen law enforcement, uphold government orders regulating cattle movements, and ensure accountability for those fuelling violence for political or personal gain,” Mujung stated in a Facebook post shared by his Press Unit on Tuesday.
Gen. Mujung urged delegates to engage in dialogue, promote reconciliation, and make inclusive decisions to address issues concerning cattle migration.
“Let us not lose sight of the fact that cattle are a source of wealth and cultural identity, just as farming is the lifeline of our economy and food security,” he added.
Mujung called on delegates to create enforceable measures for regulating cattle movement, enhance community-based conflict resolution, and support recovery initiatives aimed at restoring farms, markets, and social services.
He emphasised the importance of effectively tackling political interference and encouraging reconciliation to restore trust among communities.
For his part, Jacob Aligo Lo-Lado, State Minister of Peace Building, stated that the conference is part of efforts to seek enduring solutions to ongoing conflicts between farmers and pastoralists.
“The overall objective of the conference is to foster peaceful coexistence and develop mechanisms for resolving conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Central Equatoria State,” said Aligo.
The event, held under the theme “Addressing Cattle Migration Challenges to Promote Peaceful Coexistence,” was organised by the State Ministry of Peace Building alongside CEPO, with support from IOM, UN Migration, and other peace partners.
Conflicts between cattle herders from Jonglei State and farming communities in Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria states have been ongoing since early 2022.
Cattle often destroy crops, and farmers kill cattle, threatening their harvests whenever herders move their animals in search of water and pasture.
Conflict erupted in March and May after herders from Jonglei State arrived in the country’s southeast to graze their cattle on lands used for farming.
Tensions regularly arise between shepherds and farming communities during the migration season in South Sudan.
Displaced pastoralists armed with guns have recently been migrating onto lands occupied by farming communities, stoking a new series of conflicts in the war-torn nation and threatening food supplies.
