Charles Joseph Wani - Commissioner of Juba County, CES - Credit: Moses Awan/EyeRadio -Dec. 21, 2022

The Commissioner of Juba County in Central Equatoria says the presence of cattle in the state territories is “politically motivated”.

Incidents of deadly violence have been reported between farmers and cattle keepers, in parts of Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria states since the beginning of this year.

This is despite several presidential and gubernatorial orders for herders to return to their places.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Wednesday December 21, Charles Joseph Wani said the continuous insecurity between cattle keepers and host communities in Central Equatoria is engineered by some politicians in the country.

“In Central Equatoria especially in Juba County, there are cattle keepers in all the payams, and they are having guns in their hands,” he said.

“You will find them carrying a lot ammunition and all that, that’s is why I’m saying this one is somehow somewhere politically motivated.”

Commissioner Wani said the problem is not the cattle-keepers but the cattle owners who are powerful figures.

“The problem is not the cattle keepers, the problem is the cattle owners, who are the cattle owners? We must identify the cattle owners so that we can get the element of how can we deal with the cattle owners.”

However, he could not state how and who exactly is fueling the communal conflicts.

Last week, clashes between cattle keepers and the host community left at least four people dead in Mangala Payam.

Commissioner Wani said a motorboat owner and a mother were shot dead, while two unidentified civilians fleeing the violence drowned in the river Nile.

Eight civilians including five children were also injured.

Wani condemned the killing in Mangala and called on the organized forces to implement the previous directives of President Salva Kiir to herders to leave their original places.