Arabic version: خزان تيريكيكا يسعى لتخفيف النزاع حول الماشية

According to Allafrica, a new reservoir in Terekeka County, South Sudan, is intended to address water shortages while easing conflict between farmers and cattle keepers competing for scarce water and grazing resources. The artificial lake was developed through a quick impact project initiated by the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS.

UNMISS said the site was selected to be far enough from farms to reduce competition while remaining close enough for farming communities to benefit. The project aims to provide farmers with a reliable source of water for crops and reduce the need for cattle keepers to enter farmland to water livestock, a recurring source of tension and violence.

“This project is particularly close to our hearts as it directly addresses both humanitarian challenges and conflict triggers, and the impact is already visible,” UNMISS Civil Affairs Officer Lawson Assagaya said during a ceremony handing the reservoir over to the community. New cattle camps have begun settling around the reservoir, encouraging people displaced by conflict, including members of the Wonduruba Mundari community, to return home.

Construction brought farmers and herders together after workers found no road suitable for heavy machinery. Farmers and herders from nearby communities arrived with tools to clear and build a route to the site, according to local partner Point Investment Company. Project manager Juman Emmanuel said the Rego payam community showed strong excitement about the new water source.

The roughly 3,200-square-metre reservoir was completed in one month. Workers struck an underground water source that began naturally filling it, UNMISS said, prompting a change from the originally planned cement lining because of contamination concerns. The water source can replenish the reservoir when dry-season rainfall is scarce, though UNMISS said it remains to be seen whether the project will ultimately reduce cattle-related violence.