IDPs in Mangalla in dire need of clean drinking water
A severe water shortage has hit the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Mangalla County of Central Equatoria State.
Mangalla is now home to tens of thousands of people displaced by the floods in parts of Jonglei State since August.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Atem Akuoc, Mangalla IDPs camp chairperson said they lack access to clean drinking water since their arrival at the camp five months ago, already creating tensions with the host community.
“In Mangalla, the population is very huge and there is no access to clean water. No boreholes have been dug here. People had to move for more than one hour to fetch water from the River Nile. So, as a result, some IDPs decided to relocate to an area near the river. This issue now created a tension between the displaced community and the host community because that area has not been allocated to the displaced,” he said.
Jonglei displaced, Murle counterparts agree to peacefully coexist
Representatives of the Jonglei displaced community in Mangalla County and their Murle counterparts in the Mogiri area of Central Equatoria State on Wednesday agreed to peacefully coexist.
The commitment was made during a dialogue meeting held between the two rival communities in the Mogiri area.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Atem Akuoc, the chairperson of the Mangalla IDP camp, said the meeting was fruitful, and that the two rival communities had agreed to end feuds and live peacefully through exchange visits.
“People in Mangalla and those in Mogiri have been living in fear of imminent attacks. Murle traders fear that the IDP community may attack them as they take cows to Juba, and for us, in Mangalla we also live in fear. So, we both agreed to co-exist and that no one shall attack the other, he said.