(ADJUMANI DISTRICT, UGANDA) – Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Thursday, 21 August 2025, forcefully expelled South Sudanese cattle belonging mainly to the Dinka Bor community from Adjumani District, sending the animals back across the border into South Sudan.
South Sudanese herder Daniel Khang Garang said UPDF soldiers ordered all cattle owned by foreign herders to be removed, and any individuals without Ugandan national identification or passports to be deported. He stressed that herders had not been staying in Uganda without payment, but were renting land from Ugandan landowners at 10 million Ugandan shillings (UGX), the equivalent of 3,600 US dollars.
The expelled herds, numbering several thousands, reached Pibiir town later in the day before proceeding through Elegu to Nimule in Eastern Equatoria State. Local leaders have described the development as a serious challenge for communities along the border.
Nimule Municipality Mayor Caesar Longa Fuli called the situation alarming, estimating that between 7,000 and 10,000 cattle are expected to cross into South Sudan. He urged the herders to cooperate with authorities. “We are urging these cattle keepers and their leaders to kindly cooperate with the authorities of Nimule and security organs. Where they are directed to operate is where they should remain,” he said.
Nimule Member of Parliament Alison Loku Idra expressed fears that the massive cattle influx could destroy crops belonging to local farmers. “My worry is that, for sure, my community members, the majority of whom are farmers, will have their crops destroyed by this huge number of moving cattle,” he said, adding that herders are often uncooperative and at times harass farmers.
In Mugali Payam, local MP Bosco Wani described the return of cattle as “a disaster” for the community. He urged herders to respect President Salva Kiir’s 2017 order for the removal of cattle from the Equatoria region. “If they can respect the executive order of the president of Uganda, why should these cattle herders not respect the one of our president?” he asked.
Community members in Nimule have agreed to temporarily host the herds in designated areas, where they will be held before being escorted to their places of origin.
The action by UPDF follows Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s Executive Order No. 2 of 2025, which banned unregulated cattle movement and free grazing in northern Uganda. The policy has forced South Sudanese herders who had crossed into Uganda during recent dry seasons to return home.
The issue of cattle movement, or transhumance, has long been a source of conflict between herders and farmers in South Sudan’s Equatoria region. Previous clashes have resulted in violence, crop destruction and displacement. Just last week, Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, together with the National Minister of Environment and Forestry Josephine Napwon Cosomos, reiterated the government’s position that all cattle should be removed from Magwi County to prevent further conflict.