Central Equatoria state youth warn nomadic pastoralists

April 4, 2015 (JUBA) – Youth from South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state have threatened to expel nomads roaming in their areas over their aggressive attitudes.

“They come here to live and they want to change our values, our way of living to suit their way of life. They come here for new life. They come here for safety, running away from insecurity in their homes, in their places and when they are here, they want to live their way of living in their homes and caused havoc and insecurity to our people,” Tombe Tongun, one of the youth leaders, said.

A group of cattle keepers, he said, burnt down Jopa village in Juba county, to the shock of communities living in the Central Equatoria area.

The commissioner of Juba county, Stephen Wani confirmed the attack, saying a person was killed and several houses were burnt down.

He however said police failed to apprehend the attackers after they arrived late at the crime scene only to find the perpetrators had fled.

“The information I have received is that a group of people came and started shooting, looting and burning down community houses. This is a practice by our cattle keeping community and it is something that needs significant attention from higher authorities so that it’s addressed immediately,” Wani told Sudan Tribune in a separate interview.

He expressed fears that the cattle keeping communities could continue destabilising the people of Central Equatoria , unless their activities were properly regulated.

(ST)