By Noah Issa Philip
Over 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons from Domuru Boma in Yeri Payam of Mvolo County in Western Equatoria state, who have been displaced since 2011 due to communal conflict, have returned to their original homelands.
They were forced to migrate due to inter-communal conflict between Dinka Atuot in Yirol County, Lakes State, and communities in Mvolo County over cattle marauding.
Mr. Alex Monday Wilson, a resident of Yeri Payam told No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Thursday that the IPDs have decided to return to their original homeland due to poor agricultural land.
He added that they also have the desire to rebuild their boma.
“The IDPs decided to return to their original homeland primarily because the land they had been cultivating for years has not been giving them good harvest yearly as compared to their ancestral home at Domuru,” he explained.
“Not only that, but they also wanted to return and rebuild their Boma.”
Before the departure, the IPDs organized a valediction party in which community members, church leaders, landlords and local government representatives of Yeri Payam attended the good-bye party.
Speaking during the departing ceremony organized in Dongereng Boma of Yeri Payam, community member Mr. Dobil said that they had called the sendoff prayers so that church leaders could pray for protection and safety to reach the homeland without any incident.
“We asked the landlords, church leaders, and government representatives to pray for us, as well as for God to bless the land where we will be staying (homeland),” he stated.
The returnees have urged the government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide immediate humanitarian assistance.
However, speaking to Citizen No.1 Daily Newspaper from Domuru Boma, an IDP member, Mrs. Nyikada Dakada, appealed for immediate humanitarian assistance, including non-food items, agricultural tools and modern seeds, and the establishment of mobile clinics to assist pregnant mothers, lactating mothers, and children.
“I am pleading to our South Sudanese government and NGOs to provide us with food, shelter, and borehole drilling because we do not have a clean drinking water source in the area, as well as a mobile clinic or health facility to assist mothers and children with medication,” she stated.
She went on to request agricultural tools, modern seeds, and scholastic materials.
Due to 2011 inter-communal violence and South Sudan’s 2013-2016 conflicts, the people of Domuru Boma migrated to different locations such as Bari, Kiyo, Yere, and Kpelikiri Bomas in Mvolo County.