Officials concerned at slow development in Yirol West of Lakes State

By Manyang Mayom

June 15, 2009 (YIROL) — The Yirol West County has been facing fundamental social and developmental challenges since its establishment as a county in 2005 following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and officials say there are still significant problems.

In interviews with Yirol West county authorities in different sections and departments, officials expressed concerns.
Chief Apukgi Makeng of the Yirol Town Regional court stressed that since the CPA, the court has been seriously engage with a portfolio of crimes from cattle thieves’ murders and adultery.

“I don’t know really what is happening to our youths and leaders of today ruling in the government of Southern Sudan,” he said. “The issue related to adultery has become common and cattle theft that usually has resulted in deaths and continual revenge anywhere in this County with it neighboring Payams and her Bomas including other states like Bentiu.”

Majok Adut, a chief of town Payam Court of Yirol West County since 1984, explained that other more complex cases have arisen involving local businessmen in this county. “They exchange money among themselves and later on they claim for benefit from one another and when both two sides failed to fulfill their promise of loan payment, they then opened they cases against one another and appealed for benefits.” The case is expected to be prolonged due to the need to call many witnesses.

A Darfurian businessman working in Yirol for two years felt disappointed over being labeled “Mony-Jalaba,” which means Arab man or Northerner person. He said, “I daily hear this statement from Yirol native youth and this is a very painful statement as I am not from Arab, I am from Darfur in the tribe of Dajo.”

“I work here as a businessman to help my relatives whom I had left in Darfur due to heavy Government of Sudan confrontation with Masalit, Zaghawa, Fur, Bargo and Dajo, my tribe. I came here to seek for money to contribute and help my people in Darfur,” said Al-Hadi Abdula.

Meanwhile, a member of Yirol trade union representing Darfur, Mr. Ahmed Adom Hassan affirmed that they usually do their prayers without discrimination despite that the county authority has not yet shown them the plot for a mosque in Yirol; the present mosque area was destroyed earlier during the war between the former rebel forces of SPLA and the Government of Sudan armed forces (SAF). The building was not restored.

YIROL WEST COUNTY SPORT

Yirol County youth have strong ambition for sports with little support from Lakes State Department of Sport. The county lacks a coach, so players daily watch the DSTV screen to adopt new style from European footballers, immediately applying it on the ground through their football practices.

In an interview with Yirol footballer Madol Chien, the top striker of the town, he affirmed that they don’t have a coach or football guardian here in Yirol West County.

Madol criticized Lakes state Department of Sport saying that the county authority does not recognize them.

“They overlooked us,” he said also adding that the Ministry of Information, Culture, Telecommunication, Youth and Sport is spending time in Rumbek Central County; they named a coach there and the coach stayed with them receiving his monthly salary in Rumbek while achieving nothing here on the ground of Yirol West County.

“We are crying to get just a football net or volleyball net and that state government is turning to us a deaf hear,” he said.

In Yirol West county, there are four football fields, six volleyball fields and 1 basketball court, but these playing fields just came through efforts of local youths, concluded James Mabor.

He also mentioned Yirol West sport teams that comprised with Cobra, Ramcil, Yirol United and Shining Star which is a mini team for children from ages 10 to 15 years.

“There is no coach and we really would like sport to change our life,” said Chien.

In a recent competition between Zalan team of Rumbek and Ramcil team of Yirol recently in Yirol West County’s freedom square, Madol Chien was second to score a goal after confronting Zalan for 83 minutes, while Zalan’s top scorer Manut Malual had taken the first goal, ending the match in a draw.

According to James Mabor Ikau, a youth member belonging to the SPLM youth league, the county authority is to blame for not recognizing youth, which he called surprising given the upcoming special youth election. He said youth still very much disprove of the authority.

“There is no support to youth and actually we need support like a youth centre, football field, basketball field and also internet centre for youth to follow what is going on worldwide,” said Ikau. He said this county has been hit by politics which made youth victims of the ruling party, adding that five active youth members were arrested accused of involvement in politics.

Ikau, who worked for SPLM youth league for two years, appealed to Yirol West County authority to ease the daily detentions of youth.

“Always our leaders keep telling us that ‘Just wait, your time has not yet come’ — what is the problem in politics with time?” asked Mabor. “We are not given training and politicians are trying to keep us indoor using politics as their future and way forward while they are leaving us behind.” He stressed that United Democratic Forum (UDF) party is actually vigorous here in Yirol West County.

YIROL HOSPITAL

There are 11 cases of a disease called hepatitis, according John Gum Daniel, a laboratory technician of Yirol West County. He also affirmed that this disease is more dangerous then HIV/AIDs. He said that the disease was been discovered from March 2009 to the present month of June 2009, and still there is more to be studies.

Yirol County Hospital is served by two doctors and seven clinical officers. However, the County hospital was restructured by Italian civil protection department in 2008 and still the renovations are ongoing at another site of the hospital, said county commissioner Agok Manyiel, who is also a member of the hospital’s management committee.

Mr. Agok Manyiel Dhieu Lam was appointed by Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) presidential decree on March 15, 2007 and he had arrived to Yirol West County to take over power on March 20, 2007. “My team has brought more development impact and rule of law in the county,” said the county official.

MARKET

Yirol West County Market is regulated by Lakes state ministry of finance, Trade and Industry, under rules established during the term of former minister Mr. Philip Marol Mading. The taxation provisional order provides for greater regulation and accountability on tax collectors.

In 2008, the town was surveyed and plot allotment was done for local businessmen who inhabit the county including those who belong to the other counties of Greater Yirol. There were 24 shops in 2007, which grew to 400 shops in 2008 plus 500 shops alloted in Midyinyin market. This Midyinyin market is an open air market where fish, charcoal, firewood and vegetables are sold at low prices said an official.

According to Yirol Town Mayor Mr. Marop Makoi, this town is now coming into order after having been a mess some years back that was caused by the civil war; local women and youth are now aiming to boost the local economy without basing their incomes on government salaries.

INFRASTRUCTURE

There is poor infrastructure in Yirol West County although new schemes for development are beginning. The local roads linking the county to her payams are very poor. Furthermore, Anuol Payam is at odds with Yirol’s Commissioner since the community complains about the poor roads but gets no response due to the lack of resources.

Anuol Payam is approximately 45 miles away from Yirol West town centre and children there daily go to school cross the river to the other side of the river whereby they do find school there – some children drowned in the water due to the lack of a bridge – only Payii bridge which is now connecting Lakes state headquarters with county which was build earlier in 2006 by Italian government as a donation to Government of Southern Sudan.

“Now I am requesting Eyat Company to look for an alternative solution that can serve Anuol Payam this year,” said the commissioner.

According to Eyat engineer Mr. Mabarak, they are going to repair Bhar-Naam Bridge within ten days. They company engineer also aimed that to start working on road by ten days to come targeting Tarakeka, Chambe road that will connecting Yirol West town with Yirol East County and to boosted-up Counties economic through Chambe road seaport to Lakes state headquarters.

Today, the Yirol West County commissioner will open a distance of 6 miles road construction work to be begun by Eyat Company. However, official affirmed that 45 trucks and tractors will begin this work quickly before a big launching by GOSS minister of road and bridge.

The county has been served by two communication network of Zain which was launched on air in 2008 and now mobile telephone network (MTN – Sudan) network which is now operating illegally in the county is waiting for the officially launching within few days to come

SCHOOL

There are only two secondary schools serving Yirol West County. The first, Pankar Senior Secondary School, is administered by the government and the second, Mapuordit Senior Secondary School, is administered by the Catholic Church’s of Diocese of Rumbek with high enrollment of boys and few girls.

Meanwhile, Yirol West county authority with effort from the commissioner is building one big girls’ primary school located in the eastern part of the county. It is estimated that there are 200 primary schools in various payams and they lack teachers.

Pankar Senior Secondary School and Yirol County Hospital were erected as part of a donation during the reign of Sudanese former President Ismail Al-Ashari in the 1960s, said an official.

JUDICIARY AND TRADITIONAL COURT AUTHORITY

There are common courts in Yirol West County including the traditional authority court, Payam town court and county regional court, which basically deal with adultery, theft and local disputes. On June 13 the Yirol West County court began hearing over 24 cases of murder, including one case which was very controversial because it involved a hyena.

In a controversial court hearing between the Pan-Mayen and Pan-Ateng groups, which both come from one tribe of Yirol West County belonging to the Apeer sub-clan, a youth member of Pan-Mayen beat one youth member of Pan-Ateng and left him injured lying on the ground in the forest; Allegedly, then a hyena came at night and ended the man’s life. The Pan-Mayen are denying killing of this man, who belonged to Pan-Ateng, while the Pan-Ateng are insisting that the cause of their man’s death was not the hyena. The judge has prolonged court hearing giving notice for both sides to agree on one track on which to proceed.

POLITICS

The county official said that politics has destroyed youth in this county since youth are in factions supporting some outgoing commissioners and the present commissioner. He appeals to youth to be together in spirit not being divided by wrong politics which lead nowhere.

(ST)