Eastern Equatoria stakeholders resolve to return Bor cattle to origin

TORIT – Stakeholders in Eastern Equatoria State, led by Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, have announced a resolution to return Dinka Bor cattle to their place of origin. The decision was announced to hundreds of community members at a welcoming ceremony in Torit on Wednesday following a forum in Juba.

Charles Udwar, speaker of the Eastern Equatoria State transitional assembly, said the Juba forum, which included national and state officials, governors from three states, the administrator of the Pibor administrative area, and representatives from faith-based organizations and civil society, aimed to find lasting solutions to cattle migration-related challenges.

He said the forum adopted 15 resolutions, calling for urgent implementation in affected regions.

Udwar outlined several key resolutions, including the implementation of a 2017 presidential order requiring cattle herders to keep their livestock in their home areas.

He also mentioned resolutions addressing the use of social media for propaganda and hate speech, the formation of a commission to investigate and facilitate compensation for destroyed farms, houses, and loss of life, and the disarmament of armed individuals throughout the country.

The speaker urged development partners to support inter-communal dialogue between Jonglei and Pibor Murle communities to mitigate cattle raiding. He said dialogue would address fears expressed by cattle herders regarding the Murle community.

Udwar also called for the return of abducted women, children, and cattle in both Central and Eastern Equatoria states. He said that while herders expressed fear and requested government escorts for their return, a committee will be formed from Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Greater Pibor, and the herders’ state of origin to oversee the movement.

Governor Lobong praised citizens for rejecting social media propaganda against the state government. He clarified that the state government has no issues with the Dinka Bor community, emphasizing that the issues are between the herders and communities in Eastern Equatoria.

“I also need to respond to some issues written on social media and you people condemn it and also I would like to say we don’t have problem with the tribe call Dinka Bor they are our neighbors, they are South Sudanese and we don’t have any problem with them but they have problem within themselves against us also those people talking and bringing cattle’s here are not all Dinka Bor there are two payams only in one county in Bor, all cattle herders within Eastern Equatoria state are exception we don’t need them here in the state,” Lobong stressed.

Lobong also warned internally displaced persons (IDPs) allegedly residing in Eastern Equatoria to relocate to their states of origin, stating that the state government is unaware of their presence.

“We as [a] government are not aware of IDPs existing in Eastern Equatoria state if there is really any then we have to give them to UNHCR to relocate them back to their state of origin, CPA has taken out all issues related to IDPs what a new IDPs are we having now unless a person who doesn’t have where to stay,” Lobong added.

He assured the community that his leadership is committed to transforming the resolutions into action.