Caught Between Crises in South Sudan:Flood-Induced Migration of Dinka Bor Cattle Herders into the Equatoria Region

The climate crisis has intensified the migration of Dinka Bor herders from Jonglei State to the Equatoria region. Commencing in July 2020, catastrophic floods compelled herders to move with their cattle to higher ground. While some returned to Bor after the receding floods, others faced pressure from national and state governments to leave the Equatoria region.However, a faction of herders remains in Western Equatoria, particularly around Mundri, contributing to heightened tensions with host communities. Conflict between migrating herders and local farmers has resulted in clashes, causing human casualties, looting of property, and raiding of livestock. These conflicts emerged as livestock destroyed crops and encroached upon the hunting groundsof host communities.Despite efforts by civil society organizations and government entities to facilitate local dialogues between pastoralists and farmers, progress has been limited. Resource constraints hinder larger peace dialogues organized by civil society, and there is a perceived lack of interest in dialogue among the conflicting communities. Additionally, the government’s limited political will to address the conflict peacefully has impeded effective resolution. While the national government has made some targeted efforts to mitigate climate-induced displacement and its impact on herders and farmers, comprehensive climate action policies are lacking. The absence of such policies has compelled citizens to devise their own coping mechanisms, often leading to conflicts among them

COVID-19 in Zimbabwe

The first official case of COVID-19 was reported in Zimbabwe on 20 March 2020. As a result, a total lockdown was declared by the government throughout the country. While the restrictions were initially supported by the masses, the length of the lockdown and the application of the lockdown rules became unbearable among the citizens. This is because most Zimbabweans are employed in the informal sector which means that majority do not have savings to keep food on their tables while not going out on the streets to sell their items. The coronavirus restrictions were also instrumentalized by the government to target the opposition supporters. As we examined the impact of the coronavirus on Zimbabwe, role played by the state to counter or exacerbate the effects of the pandemic, consequences of these top-down measures from the gover