Bor Community Agrees to evacuate Cattle Herders from Yei County.

YEI COUNTY  24, April, 2025

A committee from Bor Community leaders held a consultative meeting with Yei county local government on cattle evacuation plans out of Yei River County. The move followed repeated calls made  by local residents and authorities in the area. Several local residents in Mugwo, Yei and Tore Payams blamed cattle herders for destroying their crops, looting properties and causing insecurity affecting farming and livelihood activities in the area over the last several months. However, the committee briefed Yei county Commissioner of their readiness to peacefully vacate farming areas in Yei on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Chief Michael Maduk Achak, leader of the Bor Community in Yei, stated that they have recovered and handed 27 cows to the people of Yei and will coordinate the return of all stolen cattle to the rightful owners. He appreciated the Commissioner’s decision to release six herder suspects involved in cattle raiding in Mugwo Payam recently. For his part, Commissioner Taban welcomed the move, urging the cattle keepers to implement their commitment and agreement to leave the area peacefully. He assured the locals that the Yei River County Government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens and their properties. Moses Aligo, a villager of Gimunu Boma welcomed the move taken by the Bor cattle herders to vacate the area. “I am happy to hear that the cattle herders finally agreed to leave farming areas and communities of Yei River county. We are farmers and we rely on our farm lands for our livelihoods” he added. John Malish, another resident of Mugwo Payam expressed skepticism of the planned movement outside Yei River County. ” These cattle herders are unruly and will not leave Yei simply because the people of Yei are not hostile or violent like other communities in South Sudan and what I know is that these herders will move around some villages of central Equatoria and return to Yei to cause destruction in the near future” he added. Malish urged the county government to form an independent cattle movement, tracing and monitoring committee to coordinate a safe and unhindered return of the cattle herders to Jonglei state.