Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Leaders from Lainya County in Central Equatorial State have called on the chiefs and the youth to protect community resources.
This is in response to several incidents of illegal logging that have been reported in some areas within the communities.
While addressing chiefs during the workshop over the weekend, the Head of Communications and Public Relations in Lainya County, Bida Lokoyome, persuaded the chiefs to protect community land and other resources.
He condemned the illegal logging and appealed to the chiefs not to allow any such activities without following the normal procedures.
Bida added that most of the trees are being cut down without the knowledge of the county officials. He suggested that the chiefs should report illegal logging activities, whether by a group or an individual.
“You are the agents of peace in the community and protect the land and other resources of the community,” Bida said.
He called on the chiefs to avoid criminal practices such as selling community land and resources to individuals or companies, warning that such would bring conflicts.
“This (selling community resources) will result in conflict in the community. Please, if you are doing this business in your area, you need to stop it,” he stated.
Bida’s message was echoed by Lainya County paramount chief Mathew Lado who emphasised the need for everyone to take responsibility for safeguarding community resources.
Lado said the knowledge acquired in the training was pertinent in bringing total unity among various communities in the county.
Lado advised all the chiefs to work towards the interests of the residents and the county and shun division based on political grouping.
He also called on the youth to respect the traditional norms of the area in order to reduce the conflicts that often arise due to violations of cultural norms.
He urged his colleagues to remain committed and ensure the available resources are used through legal procedures and for the benefit of the community members.
In addition, he called for more efforts to be put into youth empowerment and appealed to the NGOs to provide necessary help to those who were displaced by the conflict.
The two-day workshop, which was organised by The Fin Church Aid, brought together chiefs from the five payams in Lainya County.
Lainya has registered the highest number of cases of illegal logging.
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