Moro Genesio, Minister of Local Governance and Law Enforcement Agency (in dark hat) and military officials engage cattle herders to leave the state. (Photo: CES/Facebook).

Authorities in Central Equatoria State are calling on cattle herders to honor President Salva Kiir’s orders and leave the state peacefully.

The state Minister of Local Governance and Law Enforcement Agency, Moro Genesio said security forces have started driving the herders out of the state starting from Jamara Sven cattle camp and other locations.

“We are here to tell the cattle keepers to move. At the first instance, we have talked to them to move peacefully, considering that they have children, and also the condition in which they have to move has to be humane,” he told reporters.

The move comes after Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony directed army commanders to facilitate the evacuation of Jonglei cattle herders out of the state.

Minister Genesio said the process is part of the implementation of the president’s 2017 order for the evacuation of cattle herders out of farmlands in Equatoria.

He said that the state leadership instructed the cattle headers to move from Lainya County to Juba through Pia Limbe, Berka, and Bongo.

Genesio explained that the cattle keepers were asked to move peacefully but forceful evacuation will be applied if they don’t comply with the orders.

“We have given them the information, they have moved the distance but that is not enough.”

“So now we come to also tell them to move from here cross to the side of Limby and from Limby Pia Breka, from Breka they will move Bungu then from Bungu cross to Juba. If they don’t want to move we are going to use the available force.”