Mundri East County orders Mundari herders to leave area

Mundri East County government of Western Equatoria State (WES) has called on Mundari cattle keepers to evacuate the area peacefully without disturbing farmers.

The area County Commissioner, Margret Fozia Emmanuel, accused the Mundri cattle wardens of disowning the 2018 agreement between the four defunct states.

In March 2018, the communities from five bordering regions of Amadi, Terekeka, Gok, Eastern, and Western Lakes reached an agreement that regulated cattle migration to prevent future conflicts, especially between the farming communities.

The agreement identified grazing lands and set out compensation rules for the destruction of crops and beehives by cattle herders.

It resolved that all cattle should evacuate the farming lands and settle in their places of origin. They were also to be in coordination with authorities in those areas in case of movement.

The 2018 agreement aimed at reducing the regular tensions that normally arise between herders and farming communities during the migration season.

However, Fozia said Mundri cattle keepers had breached the 2018 agreement as their cattle continue to destroy the crops.

“The cattle keepers are still in the area, they did not leave the area as I speak to you…there is destruction although not much,” she revealed.

“We have always been calling on them to leave the farming area peacefully since no one wishes to push things violently.  We need to engage in peaceful dialogue with my [Terekeka] counterpart,” Commissioner Fozia stressed.

She said they have been in communications with the Terekeka County Commissioner on ways of reviewing the 2018 agreement for the cattle keepers to evacuate the area.

“The agreement has been disowned by those cattle keepers, so we are discussing how we can make it to be useful for both communities,” she added.

She said they have been seriously engaging local chiefs and leaders to make sure no community takes the law into their hands but she promised to settle the issue amicably.

She encouraged communities in the area to join hands and continue working for peaceful co-existence.

“I am urging my communities in the area to work for peace as well as cattle keepers to respect the communities in the area especially farmers; their crops must be respected,” Fozia said.

Decree issued

In 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a Republican Decree for evacuation of all cattle from the three states of Greater Equatoria to the respective states of the internally displaced cattle keepers.

This came after the people of Greater Equatoria repeatedly raised grievances of violence against farmers in the region.

The Equatoria region accused pastoralists of destroying farms and causing insecurity in three greater regions.

Since then, people have been witnessing the violation of President Kiir’s order as many herders continue to leave in the region, especially central Equatoria state.