By Kei Emmanuel Duku
For many years, pastoralists in South Sudan have relied on the seasonal movement of their herds in search of grazing land and water.
However, climate change has brought erratic rainfall and shrinking pastures, forcing herders to migrate and causing conflict that pits them against farmers, exacerbating ethnic tensions.
On Thursday, leaders from Central and Eastern Equatoria states and their counterparts from Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area convened for a one-day high-level stakeholders meeting in Juba to discuss durable solutions to cattle migration in the country.
Following deliberations, stakeholders passed 15 resolutions, the key among them being the need for the formulation and enactment of laws regulating cattle migrations.
Stakeholders argue that passing livestock legislation is important because it supports law enforcement agencies in exercising their power and duties to ensure the rule of law and hold perpetrators of cattle conflict accountable in cases of cattle incursion.
Leaders also called for the establishment of an Anti-cattle Theft Police Unit (ACTPU), stating that the unit would help trace stolen or raided livestock using their identification marks and return them to their rightful owners.
As a measure to reduce the spread of livestock pests and diseases, leaders urged support services such as establishing veterinary centers, constructing water catchments, and encouraging zero grazing and commercialization of the livestock industry.
Stakeholders noted that animals in zero-grazing systems tend to be more productive due to better nutrition and reduced energy expenditure searching for food. They added that veterinary services allow early detection and treatment of diseases, preventing widespread outbreaks and protecting entire herds and flocks.
They further explained that water catchments provide a reliable water source for livestock, especially in arid and semi-arid areas where water scarcity is a major constraint. This reduces the need for farmers to travel long distances in search of water, saving time and energy. During dry seasons, water catchments can also serve as a crucial water reserve, helping livestock survive droughts and reducing losses.
In 2017, President Salva Kiir issued executive orders directing the return of livestock to their areas of origin.
These orders were reinforced by Resolutions No. 7 and 8 of the Governors’ Forums, directing the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs, together with state authorities, to coordinate the return of cattle herders.
However, these directives have never been implemented, resulting in conflict over livestock, destruction of farmland, and cattle raids among pastoralists within the country’s cattle corridor.
The stakeholders’ meeting further reiterated the implementation of the presidential directives and called for comprehensive nationwide disarmament to prevent further cattle violence.
Some resolutions included establishing a joint committee to monitor the implementation of the resolutions and providing security to protect civilians, cattle herders, and traders in the affected areas.
Those whose livestock were raided, houses burned, and farmland destroyed should be compensated after a thorough investigation is conducted, and children and women abducted should be prioritized by the investigation committee.
The stakeholder meeting further underscored the importance of community dialogue between citizens from the three states and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
A recent violent incident in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, claimed over 30 lives, displaced hundreds, destroyed houses by fire, and resulted in livestock raiding by unidentified armed raiders.