By Adia Jildo
The governor of Central Equatoria State, Emmanuel Adil Anthony said he will no longer entertain any more talks or negotiation with the Jonglei cattle herders to evacuate from Central Equatoria after the 72-hour ultimatum elapse.
He made the statement yesterday in Lokiliri payam of Juba County where they went to witness the atrocities committed by disgruntled armed herders who slayed over five people in the area on Friday.
The governor had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the herders to vacate the area with their cattle without any excuse, after the murder of six local farmers and six others reported injured.
Adil met with the community of Lokiliri Payam to console them and discuss about the next step for the state government response into the provocative heinous actions of the herders.
“We have repeated that we shall not talk with the herders. After the elapse of the 72 hours, we are coming to work here at the state not Juba,” he echoed.
“If they do not want to get out of here, we shall mobilize a force and fight with them in these bushes.”
The governor said the presence of herders have caused a lot of insecurities in the state.
He noted that despite several decrees by the President and himself (governor Adil), herders have paid deaf eyes and remained to be the cause of the outcry among communities in the State.
“The issue of the cattle is the one that causes the problem. Every time we talk about this, we drive them away, they return,” he cited.
The governor lamented that they are not against the herders but their bad deeds.
“We are not chasing the citizens but their chaos is a threat to us (people of Central Equatoria). We want to see who are those threatening others in their land,” he echoed.
“This is foolery at its peak. We did not fight to bring the citizens to suffer I know the pain you (citizens) are experiencing but let us pray to God,” he said calling on the citizens to stay calm as the orders shall be put into action and implemented.
Over 1,900 people have been displaced and 225 households. The situation of the displaced are dire with nothing to sustain their lives.
The five other corpses as a result of the cattle herders’ atrocities will be laid to rest on Friday.