By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Kajo-Keji County Commissioner, in Central Equatoria state, has appealed to residents of Liwolo Payam who sought refuge in Uganda to return home before the next agricultural season.
Addressing Christians at a regional convention in Liwolo, Commissioner David Lisi Christopher stated that civilians in the Payam can now experience over three months without gunfire.
Noting a significant improvement from previous years, Lisi urged those who fled who fled 2016 conflict to return.
He emphasized that most areas in Liwolo Payam are now secure and safe, and encouraged residents who remain in Uganda and along the border to return and rebuild the Payam and the county.
The Commissioner explained that government plans to distribute agricultural inputs and provide essential social services, such as scholastic materials and WASH services, cannot be effectively implemented without the presence of citizens on the ground.
He urged any Liwolo Payam resident, or residents from other Payams, who wish to return home to inform their area chiefs. This will allow the county relief and rehabilitation office to register them and provide agricultural tools upon their arrival.
“We cannot bring seeds and distribute them to nobody. For those of you staying in Mejale on the Ugandan border, I see no difference between your situation and those in refugee camps. Therefore, return home, as the security situation has improved significantly,” Christopher said.
The Kajo-Keji County Commissioner clarified that rumors claiming Liwolo Payam is a stronghold of non-signatories to the 2018 peace agreement are unfounded.
He asserted that most areas in Liwolo Payam have never been invaded by opposition groups fighting the government.
He further argued that there is no justification for Liwolo and Kajo-Keji County residents to continue living in Uganda and relying on food rations and handouts from humanitarian organizations.
The Commissioner warned that if residents remain in refugee camps, they risk their ancestral lands being invaded and grabbed by cattle herders and other illegal land grabbers who have already begun settling in vacant areas within the county.
He assured Christians of the government’s commitment to providing security for returning citizens, stating that soldiers have been deployed to hotspots where cattle herders have been sighted.
However, he emphasized that the primary responsibility for protecting land from illegal settlers lies with the returning citizens themselves.
Commissioner Christopher also appealed to holdout groups within the county to renounce war, join the peace process, or join the government, stating that South Sudanese are tired of conflict.
He directed the County Executive Director and the Area Chief of Liwolo Payam to peacefully evacuate Amboro-Amboro cattle herders.
“These people, Amboro-Amboro, should immediately leave Liwolo Payam and Kajo-Keji before I am forced to remove them,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rt. Rev. Joseph Aba, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, said the convention, held every three years, was unique this year as it attracted Christians from various refugee settlements in the Northern and West Nile regions of Uganda.
He noted that some Christians traveled by motorcycle, others walked hundreds of kilometers, and others used public transport from Uganda to Kajo-Keji County to attend the convention.
Rt. Rev. Aba stated that the convention’s theme, derived from Isaiah 58:12, called for the restoration and rebuilding of lives, families, communities, and the nation.
“Despite their poverty, they managed to attend this convention, which is fitting as the time of war is over. It is time for reconciliation and rebuilding our lives, and God is the rebuilder,” Rt. Rev. Aba said.
The convention, which began on February 19, 2025, will conclude on Sunday, February 23, 2025. It was attended by the Archbishop of the Internal Province and other senior government officials from the State and County.