By Baraka John
Local businesspeople in Western Equatoria’s Ibba County are being blamed for enabling the return and prolonged stay of the Ambororo nomadic pastoralists from the Fulani ethnic group despite longstanding concerns about their impact on security, agriculture, and the environment.
For over a decade, the nomads have moved in and out of the region in search of pasture, often sparking tensions with local communities. As the rainy season revives the grasslands, residents are once again bracing for what many fear could be another cycle of conflict and destruction.
Ibba County Commissioner Wilson Tetela told King Media that the Ambororo have recently caused significant damage to farmlands, rivers, and streams, instilling fear among residents. In response, his administration issued a local order in May 2025 instructing law enforcement to peacefully remove the nomads and explicitly banning any form of trade with them.
“Some local traders take items like plastic sheets, gumboots, salt, and flour to the nomads. People are coming from as far as Yambio and Maridi to trade with them,” said Commissioner Tetela. “We issued a local order in May banning this kind of business. Anyone caught violating it faces up to six months in jail.”
Tetela believes this illegal barter trade is the primary reason the Ambororo continue to resist relocation. In remote forest clearings, the nomads reportedly exchange cattle for essential supplies transactions that evade the attention of local authorities.
Community members say the nomads are not just herders but are often armed, allowing their livestock to roam freely and destroy crops, beehives, and water sources.
A youth identified only as Gaaniko told King Media, “They’re not just grazing cattle. They’re armed and they don’t respect boundaries. Our crops and water sources are being wiped out.”
Tensions involving the Ambororo are not new. Past encounters in Nzara, Nagero, and Yambio counties have reportedly resulted in deadly clashes. In 2007, local leaders accused the group of killing over 90 people, and in 2008, the then-Government of Southern Sudan expelled them, citing “predatory behavior.” Many believed the issue was resolved after independence in 2011—but their return over the last decade has reignited fears and frustration.
Hon. Jackson Baako-Charles, a youth representative for Ibba County under the SPLM-IO ticket, criticized the lack of decisive government action in a statement issued in April. “They are foreigners, nomadic, and armed,” he said. “If any other armed group was roaming our forests, it would have been addressed by now. Why are they not being held accountable?”
Bishop Wilson Kamani of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan’s Ibba Diocese also condemned the continued presence of the nomads. “The Ambororo are creating insecurity. People can’t safely access the forest, and they’re afraid to carry out basic livelihood activities,” the bishop said.
He warned that the destruction of natural resources could have long-term humanitarian consequences.
As tensions rise and trust erodes, calls for the government to take firm action are growing louder with communities insisting that if the issue is not resolved soon, the situation could escalate beyond control.
This story is reported with a grant from the Journalists for Human Rights under the “Tackling Mis/disinformation Project” funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada