Undated photo of Ambororo pastoralists pictured crossing a river in Western Equatoria State. | File photo.

The Commissioner of Maridi County in Western Equatoria State has confirmed that Ambororo nomads from central Africa have left the area.

Armed and sometimes dangerous, the cattle herders from the semi-arid regions of Chad and Central Africa Republic immigrated to South Sudan more than a decade ago.

Since then, the wandering nomads have been moving in and out of the country at different times of the past years.

Maridi Commissioner Mirri Matias said the ethnic Ambororo men have now crossed to the Democratic Republic of Congo while others are headed toward the Bahr el Ghazal region.

“On the issue of Ambororo who are moving without borders, these days, I have not received any report regarding their presence, some of them have crossed to DRC Congo and some of them are heading to Bahr el Ghazal,” Matia said.

“Let me just assure you that from 1st January up to this moment, the situation is calm and there is no disturbance because Ambororo is now moving away.”

In February 1, 2024, Central Equatoria government warned of a looming return of the Ambororo nomads to parts of the state, saying it was considering counter measures.

The ambororo nomads were reported to have left Western Equatoria State in 2010 with their estimated 100,000 herds of cattle, but they later returned to the area.

Local authorities in Maridi, Ezo, Ibba, Nzara and Tombura counties have since reported multiple attacks on villagers by the armed Ambororo nomads in the last two months.