Louis Lobong, the Governor of Eastern Equatoria state, talk about looming hunger in the state - credit | Charles Wote/Eye Radio | Nov. 16, 2021

Eastern Equatoria State’s Governor has declared Fridays as cultivation days and calls on the citizens to embark on farming as the rainy season approaches.

His appeal came two days after the visit of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Dau Deng and other government officials including the UN agencies to Magwi County on Tuesday.

The visit aimed to console the natives and reinforce peace and stability in the County in the aftermath of the recent cattle-related violence in the area.

The recent violence in some areas of the County had resulted in the loss of several lives and properties, a situation that has inflicted anger among the locals.

According to Lobong the security situation in the state is stable and he encourages the citizens to produce more food this year to strengthen food security in the area.

“Eastern Equatoria is actually a food basket for South Sudan and my appeal to them, the people of Eastern Equatoria, to start digging in their farms,” Governor Lobong told Eye Radio on Wednesday.

“We are even declaring Friday as a cultivation day for the working class, Friday and Saturday so that we produce enough food, enough for us and we are very near to the market. Juba is just a market for us unlike other places, so we shall be the beneficiaries.

“If my citizens of Eastern Equatoria produce enough food, different types of food crops, they will be able to sell and the economy will improve in Eastern Equatoria and this is my appeal to them.

“Now there is stability in the whole of the State, there will be no reason, lazy excuse for people not to cultivate.”

When contacted by Eye Radio, Okee Joseph, one of the residents of Agoro whose area has been affected by the recent violence expressed his readiness to cultivate this year.

However, he still decries the presence of the cattle in some parts instilling fears among the locals.

“We are very ready to cultivate. Only our fear is, the cattle that are still remaining behind the side of Nimule corridor. This is because once when they will be traveling back, they will be traveling on our land,” Joseph said.

“With the incident that happened in February, that fear is still with the community. They thought maybe if these people will be going back, they will bring more harm to the community.

“Our expectation was, to go back and start cultivating but we need those cattle to be taken before people start cultivating. If it’s not taken, we cannot because you cannot do work whereby you will incur loses. Now when you go to dig in the garden, you dig with fear.”

Recently, herders and the host community clashed in the areas of Abara, Ayii, Kit and Agoro-Somboro villages in Magwi County leaving a number of people dead and hundreds of others displaced.