Thousands of people in Kapoeta East County, Eastern Equatoria State, have abandoned their villages due to severe drought and worsening food insecurity, turning to gold mining in areas near Lopua, a move that has sparked tensions, violence and calls for authorities to ensure peaceful access to the sites.
The prolonged dry spell has devastated crops and livestock across the county, leaving families with few options for survival, said Alphonse Lotunyeny, Chairperson of the Eastern Equatoria State Civil Society Network. Many residents who lost their harvests migrated to mining zones, he said, but some were attacked, robbed, and forced to flee amid disputes over access.
Lotunyeny told Radio Tamazuj that women were among those affected, with reports of assaults, including alleged sexual violence, which he said required urgent investigation by state authorities. Some displaced miners spent days stranded near Narus before returning to their villages, while others went back to the mines because they had no other income source, he added.
“People have no harvest because of the drought. Livestock have also been devastated by disease over the past two years. Mining has become the only means of survival for many families,” Lotunyeny said. He urged the government, traditional authorities, and community leaders to engage the Buno community to guarantee safe access to the mining area during the humanitarian crisis.
“This is a temporary survival strategy. When the rains return and farming resumes, people will go back to their farms. Communities should be allowed to survive during this difficult period,” he said.
Kapoeta East Youth Leader Moses Lokolong confirmed that people had temporarily left the mining area but disputed claims that the Buno community had permanently barred others from mining. He said local leaders had asked miners to vacate for seven days to allow the Buno community to perform traditional cultural rituals, and that the restriction was temporary.
“Everyone will be allowed to return once the rituals are completed,” Lokolong said, adding that some thefts may have occurred as people travelled back from the area.
The newly appointed Caretaker Commissioner of Kapoeta East County, Angelo Marko Loteam, said authorities responded immediately after reports of the unrest. Officials met youth, religious leaders, traditional chiefs, and organized forces to restore calm, he said.
Loteam described the disruption as the work of criminals, not an organized community conflict. “We engaged the youth, religious leaders, traditional leaders, chiefs and organized forces. People have now returned to the mining fields, and we have arrested one suspect who will help identify the remaining criminals responsible for disturbing the area,” he said.
He added that thousands who had temporarily left the mining sites had returned following the intervention.
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