Cattle grazing in South Sudan

The governor of Wau state has accused cattle keepers from the neighboring Tonj of violating the pact which prohibits them from grazing in Kwarjina County.

The Marial-Bai Agreement was signed in December 2016.

It obligates the governments of Wau, Gogrial and Tonj to regulate the relationship between pastoralists and farmers.

“We found in the summary of the committee report that the cattle keepers violated the provision of Marial Bai agreement,” Angelo Taban Biajo said.

More than 15 people were killed in the series of attacks.  Several females including two girls were rapped, and thousands displaced from their homes.

The state government established this after sending an investigation team to the areas affected due to the violent conflict early this month.

“The committee assured us that there is no any ramifications of conflict between Tonj and Wau states, and what is happening there is a dispute between the cattle keepers and opposition over cattle.”

 “The cattle keepers … did not engage with the local authorities or chiefs in the area to get approval,” said Biajo.

However, he dismissed the accusation that the state has failed to protect civilians in Kwarjina.

Mr. Biajo instead accused the neighboring Tonj state of not disarming the cattle keepers.

 “The person who said the two states have failed to protect the lives of civilians, is not true. The mistake is for the person who allows his civilians to have guns in their hands,” he said.