Bor residents reject request to contribute oxen, feed NSS

BOR – The residents of Bor County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State have strongly rejected a government request for communities to contribute 50 oxen to feed members of the National Security Service (NSS), describing the demand as “garbage” and a blatant abdication of state responsibility.

The controversy comes amid heightened insecurity in Bor, reportedly linked to tensions between the NSS and a local youth group known as the Red Belt.

According to local sources, Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech directed payam chiefs to mobilise livestock to support security personnel deployed to investigate recent violent incidents.

Residents who spoke to Sudans Post on condition of anonymity condemned the order, saying it is the government’s duty—not that of citizens—to feed and maintain its troops.

“If the community needs protection, the government should provide it. That’s why we have a government and why we pay taxes,” said one resident. “If the authorities can’t feed their soldiers, that’s their problem, not ours.”

Locals argued that the state has the capacity and mandate to deploy and sustain security forces anywhere in the country, warning that shifting such responsibilities onto citizens erodes public confidence in the government’s establishments and undermines the rule of law.

They urged the authorities to withdraw the request and focus instead on fulfilling their constitutional role to ensure security and logistical support for state agents.

However, Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech defended the initiative, insisting that the contributions were voluntary and made out of goodwill.

“The residents are contributing food items to the security forces based here in Jonglei State. So far, they have donated 10 oxen, and the Jonglei State Chamber of Commerce has provided rice, beans, oil, and other food items,” Pech said.

He added that the presence of NSS personnel has significantly improved security in Bor.

“Since the arrival of these security forces, the crime rate has gone down. No gang incidents are being reported, and the Red Belt group is no longer disturbing the community. People are living peacefully,” he said.

Commissioner Pech also dismissed online critics, warning that many of them do not live in Bor. “This contribution is not forced—it is voluntary. In our culture, when a visitor comes to your home, you provide food,” he stated.