15 March 2014 - More than 500 officials and community members met today in Easter Equatoria State over displaced Dinka-Bor from Jonglei State settling with their cattle in Nimule, upsetting local farmers.

During the meeting, held in Nimule Payam (district) of Magwi County, five Ma’di chiefs from Melijo, south of Nimule, said they had offered community land to the Dinka-Bor for temporary settlement.

The offer angered many farming Ma’di community members present, as the Dinka-Bor are grazing on their land and endangering their crops.

Jonglei Acting Governor Ding Akol said his state’s government could not tell the IDPs to return home. “Even state governments were displaced to Juba. As soon as calm is restored in Jonglei, however, the IDPs will be forced to return back to Jonglei.”

Mr. Akol promised to talk to Eastern Equatoria Governor Louis Lobong to ensure security forces sent back all IDP cattle currently on Ma’di land.

Magwi County Commissioner Francis Okech said it was unacceptable for IPDs to come to the state with their cattle. “I urged the host community of Ma’di not to take the law into their hands, but report to the authorities any cattle observed roaming in Nimule.”

Addressing another issue, Eastern Equatoria Governor Lobong warned IDPs about setting up a “parallel administration” in his state. “Anyone claiming themselves to be a government authority outside of the Eastern Equatoria government will be arrested and charged.”