Eastern Equatoria Security Outlook
Governor Louis Lobong Lojore says roads are safer, schools reopened and markets revived across Magwi County, arguing that the main triggers of the 2014 exodus are easing thanks to local ceasefire arrangements and joint patrols.
Faith Gathering Highlights Hope
Speaking during the ordination of three priests and four deacons at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Loa, the governor used the pulpit to extend his invitation, blending spiritual renewal with social reintegration.
Vice-President Josephine Lagu and Environment Minister Josephine Napwon echoed the call, urging congregants to ‘heal the land by returning’ while pledging stronger basic services.
Voluntary Return vs Formal Repatriation
Lobong told the largely Madi audience that waiting for a fully funded repatriation scheme could delay family reunifications, adding that the border crossing to Uganda sits barely twenty kilometres away.
He framed vacant ancestral land as ‘single and promising’, hinting that prolonged abandonment risks unintended occupation and future disputes.
Regional Quest for Peace and Unity
Parliamentarians and church elders leveraged the ceremony to promote reconciliation between returnees and communities that stayed, asserting that sustainable peace depends on inclusive dialogue and agricultural revival rather than guns.