By Ngok Garang – 23 AUG 2024

The commissioner of Terekeka County in Central Equatoria State, George Wani Elia, has dismissed a statement from his counterpart in Juba, Emmanuel Tete Ezbon, claiming that the two discussed about issuing an order prohibiting movement of cattle from Terekeka to Juba without departure permit.

Ezbon during the swearing in of the new chairperson of Juba County Legislative Council Thursday said they discussed about cattle keepers obtaining departure permits to allow cattle movement within Juba County.

“On the issue of cattle I have talked to the commissioner of Terekeka county this morning for us to issue an order to prohibit the movement of cattle from Terekeka to Juba county and to obtain a departure permit for cattle movement including the cattle keepers with guns to be disarmed because you cannot protect the cattle’ with heavy guns otherwise it is not for cattle anymore,” Ezbon said.  

But Terekeka County Commissioner in a statement isued on Friday denied having such discussions with his Juba counterpart. According to Wani, Terekeka is part of Central Equatoria State and their cattle have the right to free movement within the state.

“Concerning our discussion with the commissioner of Juba county we did not have any discussion on the movement of cattle. In his statement he mention that if any cattle is relocated from Terekeka to Juba county there should a departure permit, secondly Terekeka county is part of the Central Equatoria state that gives us right to move across the state and we should not restricted to move with our cattle using a departure permit.” 

Wani alleged that there are no guns among civilians in Terekeka after a disarmament that was conducted by the administration of former governor. He however promised to disarm anyone found possessing illegal guns.

“Up to date there are no guns in the hands of the citizens in terekeka county because the former governor of central Equatoria issued an order for disarmament during his regime. The government took all the guns from the citizens in terekeka including the cattle keepers in the camp, our citizens right now do not have guns and if we find or hear anyone with a gun we will take it and  handed it over to the authority,” Wani stated.

Wani called for the involvement of community leaders when resolutions concerning their communities are made.

“If there is any agreement between the two communities of Juba and Terekeka County the community leaders should be included and after the meeting there should be resolutions to enable them to give a joint statement for the media on the agreement. Therefore I want to assure to our citizens that I did not have any agreement with the Juba county commissioner.”