A landmark consultative meeting held at the Glory Regency Hotel has set a new trajectory for pastoralist advocacy and rangeland management in South Sudan. Bringing together 16 Members of Parliament (MPs), regional experts, and development partners, the engagement culminated in the signing of a strategic five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
A Vision for Resilience
The meeting, opened by Hon. Caguor Adong Manyang (MP), emphasized that pastoralism is not a challenge to be “controlled” but a critical solution for climate adaptation and food security. As part of the PLACE Project—funded by the European Union through the FAO—this initiative seeks to improve the governance of pastoralism across seven countries in Eastern Africa.
Pastoralism is a key intervention for development and not a problem as peddled by its opponents. — Mr. Steven Agot, PCO-SS
Moving from Dialogue to Action
The consultative sessions focused on bridging the gap between existing policy and ground-level impact. Participants identified several priority areas for parliamentary intervention:
- Land Tenure & Security: Fast-tracking the National Land Policy to protect communal land rights and clarify boundaries.
- Climate-Smart Mobility: Safeguarding transhumance routes and livestock corridors to allow peaceful movement of cattle and people.
- Essential Services: Lobbying for increased national budgets to provide mobile human and livestock health services, including vaccinations.
- Conflict Resolution: Strengthening traditional resource-sharing mechanisms and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to mitigate resource-based conflicts.
The Five-Year Strategic Roadmap
The newly signed MoU establishes a Joint Coordination Platform that will meet twice a year to monitor progress. Under this framework:
- SSD-PPG will lead legislative advocacy and promote supportive policies in Parliament.
- PCO-SS will provide grassroots evidence and ensure community voices inform the legislative process.
- ESAPN will provide regional expertise, policy analysis, and coordinate advocacy efforts across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Preparing for IYRP 2026
A major highlight of the partnership is the alignment with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026. By domesticating regional protocols like the IGAD Transhumance Protocol, South Sudan aims to lead the way in demonstrating how mobility enhances resilience in dryland ecosystems.
“A stable, food-secure, and peaceful South Sudan depends on deliberate investment in and protection of pastoralism today,” concluded Benjamin Beyeza-Mutambukah, ESAPN Coordinator.
For more information on our regional policy frameworks and upcoming initiatives, visit our Resources section to download the full MoU and Engagement Report.
