New cattle influx in Agoro forces returnees to camp, says local leader

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About seven households have already gone back to the camp after new influx of cattle in their area, says Ochola Emmanuel Lino community leader of Agoro Payam of Magwi County.

He stresses that most of those returnees came back on voluntary repatriation basis between 2019 and 2020, Radio Emmanuel reported.

According to him cattle destroyed returnees’ crops which were still in the garden are as they passed through Nyolo Boma of Agoro Payam to Ayii Boma in Iwire Payam.

He states that most of those returnees were settled along the highway.

“The population that came from the camp some of them went back because some of their crops have been destroyed and there is going to be famine in the area so they decided to go backward. Seven households went back to Uganda the most affected people in the area. These returnees some of them have taken now two years, some of them came last year some of them came in 2019 and others who remain and have not gone to Uganda are all settle along the highway”, Emmanuel explains.

The community leader reveals that cases of child abduction and other destruction were witnessed when the cattle keepers were in Nyolo last year and the community fear it may repeat itself.

“Last year it happened in the area abduction of children and the rest of the things, they said since these people are coming back they are also going to do the same thing that happened last year because some of the children were taken from the area and a lot of things their properties have been stolen and they thought since these people are coming back the same thing will happen so they decided to go back to Uganda”, he narrates.

Agoro Payam Executive officer, Okee Joseph Oryem, confirms that big destruction of crops was witnessed in Nyolo Boma as some cattle were passing to Ayii Kit on Sunday.

He explains that those crops wiped out include sorghum, cassava, sweet potatoes and pigeon peas among others.

Joseph states that the cattle keepers are also moving with firearms, worrying the community members.

He said two cattle camps are currently in Nyolo although most of them passed to Ayii in Iwire Payam.

“I have registered number of people whose crops have been destroyed. Their lists are with me and the quantities of crops destroyed are also with me. For a person name Pio Obwona Dere was about ten bundles of sorghum which was still in the garden, Lokereke the sorghum was not yet cut out, but they destroyed the whole garden, Onen John they destroyed his Lapena from the garden, Acayo Regina they destroyed Lapena from the garden, Obote Hitila they destroyed sorghum and Lapena so those are the people I so far received”, the officer testifies.

Early this week the area MP representing Magwi County in the Eastern Equatoria Parliament raised concerns over the cattle entry into Ayii-Kit.