The Governor of Eastern Equatoria visited Magwi County, where there has been a huge influx of cattle in recent days, causing security concerns.

Louis Lobong Lojore and a contingent of security personnel visited cattle camps in the areas of Opari and Pageri, to speak with cattle herders following concerns raised by the locals in the areas expected to host returnees from Uganda.

The governor’s press secretary revealed that the governor urged the cattle keepers to respect local cultures and prevent their animals from encroaching on farms and destroying property.

According to Aliandro Lottok, it was revealed that the chief of the large cattle camp in Opari, Abraham Kur, said they moved to Magwi in search of water.

“We have not come here by force. The condition of the cattle made us come this far in search of water and grass. When the first rains come; we will go back to Lobonok and Jonglei; our home states”.

Cattle herders from Jonglei State’s Bor and other states have always clashed with farmers in the Equatoria region due to disputes over grazing territory, where the cattle herders have settled.

According to county officials inform Magwi, at least 93 households from Torit West County were relocated by livestock herders to Magwi County’s  Agoro Payam, Eastern Equatoria State, in late January 2022.

Okeny Charles, the head chief of Agoro Payam, told The City Review on Wednesday that herders were searching for displaced people in residential areas across the payams, questioning inhabitants about their locations.

According to him, the situation in Agoro is worrisome to the locals due to the presence of roaming cattle and armed people. Charles called for immediate government action to address the problem, saying that failure to do so will result in the returnees being sent back to refugee camps.

Additionally, legislators from Magwi County petitioned President Salva Kiir to order the evacuation of cattle in the area to allow the villagers to cultivate freely and avoid confrontation.

Despite several orders from the President urging them to evacuate cattle from the Equatoria region, an influx of cattle has increasingly been seen in the region. President Kiir issued an order in 2017 ordering all cattle herders to return their herds to their original place, however, the order has been ignored by the herders.