Jonglei urges people to embark on food production despite security fears

April 10,2012 (BOR) – Jonglei State governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, has announced the start of agricultural season and urged the state’s citizens to embark on food production across the conflict-affected state.

Manyang said Tuesday that insufficient food production in the state was a cause of cattle raiding, abductions and revenge attacks that have blighted South Sudan’s largest state.

Cattle raids using small arms are common in Jonglei but peaks in violence in June and August last year left over 1,000 dead. Attacks over Christmas and New Year displaced over 100,000 people, many of whom are yet to return to their lands in remote areas.

In mid-March, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir launched a state-wide disarmament process, which is being carried out by a 15,000 army and police force.

“One of the challenges facing both the government of the state and the government of South Sudan and our people of South Sudan is the shortage of food because food is important for people to live”, said Manyang.

Increased food production will reduce conflict in Jonglei, the governor said. “It is only when we farm, produce our own food that is when we will be peaceful”.

Manyang said the all the officials working for the government should use their weekend’s for farming. To increase food production Jonglei’s ministry of agriculture has purchased 18 tractors, which can be hired by farmers to plough their farms at low cost.

However, the governor noted that the 18 tractors “are not enough to all the people in Jonglei. But the ministry of agriculture will have to avail them to citizens who will pay monye and have their farms cultivated”.

Security fears have meant that many of the 120,000 people affected by the violence in December and January have not returned from the towns, where they sought shelter, to the remote areas where they live.

Communities fear that once the South Sudan army (SPLA) leaves an area having disarmed its population they will be vulnerable to attack from neighbouring groups.

(ST)