Cows in a Bor Cattle Camp - April 2009. Photo: Koang Pal/Eye Radio

All cattle keepers from Jonglei will now return to their home state, according to a deal between the governors of Jubek and Jonglei.

Local authorities say five people have been killed, and another abducted in a fighting between the two groups in Lobonok over the last three days.

The move is aimed at ending fighting between pastoralists and the host communities which are mainly farmers.

Jonglei State Governor Philip Aguer and his Jubek counterpart, Augustino Jaddalla, arrived at the decision in a meeting held in Juba yesterday.

Governor Aguer says a committee has been formed to monitor the return of the cattle keepers to their home state.

“We will also meet the Minister of Defense to support the police forces in the process of returning the cattle camps from Jubek State to Jongolei in peaceful way,” Mr Aguer added.

For his part, the Governor of Jubek State, Augustino Jadalla, said sending the cattle keepers to their home state would bring about peace.

“We came up with this process because we are in the peace implementation process, and if we want to implement the peace deal, we need all the corners of the country to be peaceful.”

There are thousands of cattle from Jonglei in the state. According to officials, the cattle keepers fled violence in Jonglei.