Lakes state asks citizens to reject violence in favour of farming ArticleComments (4). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Manyang Mayom May 4, 2011 (RUMBEK) - The Lakes state minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Eli Magok Manyol, asked citizens on Wednesday to stop fighting each other and channel their energy into farming. Women farming in Nuktamanga, Lakes state, South Sudan. (Photo: Alun McDonald - Oxfam)Violence in Lakes state caused the acting governor to announce a night time curfew yesterday in an attempt to curb the violence between rival groups in and around Rumbek. Ten civilians and one policeman were killed in April. Lakes state minster Magok said his government was preparing to reduce the level of poverty in it entire eight counties with the beginning of new rainy season. He said that reducing poverty and increasing agricultural production would help “stop hostility in Lakes state” where fighting is often triggered by cattle raiding and consequent revenge attacks. Magok appealled to all farmers in Lakes state to cultivate their land with spirit. He asked people to stop “hostility among ourselves”. Insecurity in South Sudan is one of the main problems in the region as it approaches independence in July. As well as inter-communal violence there are seven separate rebel groups fighting the southern government in different parts of South Sudan. The referendum vote on secession was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal, which ended decades of civil war. However the peace agreement has not stopped violence within South Sudan, often triggered by cattle raiding and controversial disarmament campaigns. “We want to supply Lakes state with four thousand ox-ploughs and each county will receive 500 ox-ploughs. This is to permit our farmers to increase production of food by increasing their areas of productions of food because we know that a cultivator who used manual work cultivation become hard for them to cultivate more plots”. The Lakes state ministry of agriculture has been tasked with improving agricultural activities in remote areas. “We have also a mandate to train people on cultivation activities and to increase the high level of food production to our civilians so that the gap of food security if [filled]. Minister Magok said that 49.7% of people in Lakes state live in poverty so efforts must be made to help people in rural areas and prevent insecurity. “Avoid killing yourself. Avoid killing your brother. Avoid [taking]revenge and take the life of being rich farmer in your society. Then you will become happy man in the world that stay without conflict.” He went on to say that some citizens of Lakes state had illegally logged timber in the state, without permission from department of forestry in the ministry of agriculture. Minister Magok advised Lakes state neighbours and inhabitants to avoid cutting down trees. He warned public that if any person found to have cut down tree without permission. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
