16 March 2012 – Cattle rustling, migration and the influx of refugees from neighboring Blue Nile State in Sudan continue to pose problems for the residents of Longochuk and Maiwut counties in Upper Nile State.

But an UNMISS team of civil affairs and public information officers found security conditions in both counties to be generally stable during a four-day visit to eastern Upper Nile State.

The team met with the commissioners of both counties as well as other government officials and local chiefs during the trip.

Longochuk County Commissioner Maj. Stephen Wichol said that his jurisdiction has received 3,215 refugees and over 3,300 southerners who formerly resided in Blue Nile State after they fled fighting in the vicinity of the border town of Kurmuk.

He said that local authorities were limited in the amount of assistance they can furnish to the recently arrived population.

"We only provide them with water, they have no food," said Maj. Wichol, adding that the returnees and refugees are concentrated in the Upper Nile State payam of Dajo that is located near the international border with Ethiopia.

He added that cattle raids and disputes over the borders separating the counties of Longochuk, Maban and Maiwut have surfaced in the last two weeks.

Since last January, pastoralists from Sudan have been permitted to enter Longochuk County provided they carry no weapons and abide by a commitment not to cut down any trees.

Relations between the pastoralists and local communities have been generally good apart from some disputes over access to resources in the county.

However, some county residents complained about diseases imported into their areas by the nomads' cattle and damage that has been inflicted on their crops by the pastoralists' herds.

"There was some conflict between the nomads and the local communities over water and grazing land," said Maj. Wichol.

The UNMISS team also heard concerns from local residents about the nomads' possible concealment of weapons and evasion of taxes they are required to pay during their stay.

The leader of the nomads said they were running short of food, plastic sheeting and medication for their cattle. But Adam Mohammed Ahamed also thanked the people of Longochuk County for the reception they had given to the pastoralists.

"They allowed our cattle to drink and graze freely in their areas without any problem," he said. "We are very happy with the hosting communities."

During his meeting with the UNMISS team, Maiwut County Commissioner Col. Gatluak Liphoth Deiu emphasized the importance of redoubling state government efforts to rehabilitate a road between the county seat of Pagak and the state capital of Malakal before the rainy season begins later this year.