CES Governor Augustino Jadalla addresses 8th Governors Forum. (Photo: CES)

Central Equatoria State Governor decried the issue of land dealers and armed cattle keepers causing insecurity in parts of the state in his address to the 8^th Governors Forum on Wednesday.

Augustino Jadalla emphasizes the need for political and national will to address the concern.

His statement follows a series of concerns from a traditional leader in Lokiliri Payam, who called for government intervention into what he called a looming crisis caused by the influx of cattle herders in farming areas.

Kastori Modi, the Chief of Nyerjebe Boma said this week that he notified local authorities about roaming livestock, grazing on farms during the harvest season as early as September and repeated the concerns on November 11.

Addressing the forum, Governor Jadalla said it is difficult for farmers who do not know cattle to live with them without proper government regulation.

He underscored that civilians have been displaced from Kajokeji and Lainya due to issue of armed cattle keepers.

“The issue of cattle became a headache and we need solution for this. This issue of cattle needs political and national well, yes we need cattle but it should be kept properly,” he said.

“It is hard to keep people who do not know cattle to live with cattle. So many people went to refuge if you go to Lainya and Kajokeji, others even went to Uganda and Juba because of cattle and they do not have guns. Another issue is the poor road connectivity, Kajokeji is now isolated from Juba, a car cannot go to Kajokeji.”

On the land issue, Governor Jadalla argued that it is only in South Sudan where land is distributed annually, adding that other countries in the world distribute land only after 10 years.

He explained that all Juba residents could have land if the state government is given a chance to locate and demarcate designated areas.

“The issue of lands requires laws; it is only in South Sudan that every year lands are distributing but in the world land is distributed after ten years which is a whole generation then what will the coming generation find because if we distribute yearly there will be no lands so what will our children find.”

In recent years, incidents of conflict have been reported between farmers and cattle keepers in Juba County of Central Equatoria state

In 2023, former Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony dispatched a team of ministers and security personnel to cattle camps in Kajo Keji, Morobo, Yei, and Lainya counties to persuade pastoralists from Bor in Jonglei State to return home with their cattle.