Security Jitters Grip Fertile County
Mundri East, a fertile corner of Western Equatoria, finds itself on edge. Unregulated checkpoints, cattle herders crossing borders and simmering land disputes have nudged farmers from their fields and traders from the roads, shaking a county still healing from years of wider national conflict.
Border Frictions and Checkpoints
Residents in Jambo Payam recount confrontations with Nyangwara neighbours and the sudden rise of informal roadblocks. They say these flashpoints disrupt produce flows, erode trust between communities and stoke rumours that can ignite wider unrest if left unmanaged.
Women Voice Harassment Concerns
Anonymous women representatives allege mistreatment during detentions by uniformed men. Fear, they add, prevents formal complaints. “Any form of harassment is a rights violation,” one delegate insists, urging authorities to guarantee safe reporting channels and swift redress.
Commissioner Advocates Collective Action
Commissioner John Henry Ngalamu counters calls for retaliation with a plea for collaboration. “Rebellion is not the answer,” he tells villagers, framing unity between citizens, chiefs and security organs as the engine of economic revival and social cohesion.
Education at Risk
School attendance slides as families flee insecurity. Ngalamu warns that today’s classroom gaps threaten tomorrow’s workforce, appealing to parents and teachers to keep lessons alive despite obstacles. “Our children cannot afford a lost decade,” he cautions.
Police Capacity Stretched Thin
Local police head Simon George Juma concedes his station lacks offices, vehicles and basic tools. While no formal harassment cases sit in his ledger, he invites victims to step forward, promising impartial investigations once resources allow.
A Path Toward Stability
County authorities pledge joint patrols, dialogue with border communities and follow-ups on every grievance aired in Jambo. For many residents, success will hinge on consistent engagement and tangible improvements that turn the commissioner’s counsel—don’t rebel, rebuild—into lived reality.