Security forces are monitoring the movement of cattle keepers leaving Miridi and Mundri West Counties, authorities in Western Equatoria State say.

State Minister of Information, Charles Kisanga says the state government has opened many corridors towards Lakes State.

He says some of the cattle keepers have hidden in the bushes, but the forces will push them out.

Mr Kisanga says pastoralists who refuse to leave will be punished.

“There are people who have been causing troubles instead of moving away. They have been more sittings around Miridi, but there are still some trouble makers behind. And there is that more roads going towards Lakes state. And forces have been deployed for a while now as you know there is tension in the area and violence,” he said.

“So we ask the government to put more force into these areas; Mundari West as well as Miridi

The deployment follows a directive from the SPLA division commander in Western Equatoria, Johnson Juma, for the formation of a security committee to move cattle out of the state.