Presence of cattle scares returnees in Magwi area, governor admits

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Eastern Equatoria State governor admits presence of cattle in Magwi Photo Courtesy

The Eastern Equatoria State governor admits that the presence of cattle in Magwi County is worrying many people who are in the refugee camp to return and settle in their original home land.

Louis Lobong Lojore says recently there was a threatening report which shows that there is a large number of cattle crossing from the western side of the River Nile into the Eastern part of Eastern Equatoria State.

“One thing that I can only make which is scaring the refugees or the returnees is the presence of cattle in Magwi area where most of the returnees are expected. Of recent they announced about two days, we got a threatening report that there is a big number of cattle coming, crossing from the western side of the river around Yei area and Kajo-Keji they have crossed to the eastern side of the river that is our territory that is Eastern Equatoria and they are coming with the people”, he explains.

Governor Lobong vows that the state government will handle the issue of the cattle.

He calls on the national government to assist so that the cattle are driven back to their original homes to allow returnees to come back home.

The governor mentions that Eastern Equatoria is peaceful, calling on UNHCR to work together with them to attract returnees back home.

“This, the state government will be able to handle it together with the cattle keepers, the national government needs to pump our assistance so that these people go back to their original home and allow the returnees to come otherwise the state is peaceful and we welcome the program of the UNHCR now that comes into Eastern Equatoria and the reopening of the office. We shall work together to make sure that we attract people coming in”, he assures.

Governor Lobong clarified that they only provide security to the returnees, but does not have food or shelter since the returnees’ homes were destroyed.

He further notes that there was poor harvest last year, making it hard for the host community to help the returnees

“However people have been complaining, the returnees when they came nobody takes care of them, for us the government we provide peaceful security, but we have nothing to give them like food and shelter, so these people need to be assisted because where they were, their homes have been destroyed and also last year there have been poor harvest so the host the people who remained are also facing problem of hunger and they have nothing much to offer to them”, the governor pleads.

In January a community leader in Agoro Payam of Magwi County stated that the new influx of cattle into their area is forcing returnees back to camps.