Security is top priority for W. Equatoria says deputy governor

April 11, 2011 (YAMBIO) – The deputy governor of Western Equatoria state, Sapana A. Abuyi has said that security is the top priority of the government of Western Equatoria. The southern state has suffered from the presence of Ugandan rebels the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the nomadic Ambororo tribe.

On Wednesday April 6 an African Union delegation visited Yambio as part of their current tour of South Sudan to assess the needs and top security priorities of the South’s states before the region declares its independence from the north on 9 July 2011.

As part of a 2005 north-south peace deal the South voted to secede in a referendum held in January 2011. The overwhelming result was accepted by Khartoum and the southern capital, Juba, paving the way for South Sudan to become the world’s newest nation in two months time.

The team leader of the AU visit Duncan Anindo tols Sudan Tribune that “their mission to Western Equatoria state is to collect information regarding top priority of priorities as expressed by the state authorities.”

Having consulted the leadership of Sudan, the AU “decided that they needed a technical committee to come on the ground and assess the situation and collect the data of South Sudan and Sudan as a whole” he said.

The AU last week sent a technical security committee to W. Equatoria state and is planning to open a Liaison office in either South Sudan, Central African Republic or DR Congo so that issues related to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) will be dealt with as a joint effort.

The AU is coming up with ideas to convene a conference with regards to international donor support to the planned regional strategy to combat LRA rebels.

According to Anindo, the AU’s peace and security commission has sent experts who are already collecting from different authorities the immediate project proposals with budget estimation to be handed to donors for conduct of solidarity conference after July 2011.

Adindo stated that the AU, through the East African regional body IGAD (The Intergovernmental Authority on Development), has requested three countries Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia to contribute through capacity building and by sending qualified and experienced personnel to assist civil servants to establish a valid civil service in South Sudan.

AU will be twofold Anindo said. Firstly the AU has already “has already deployed on the ground experts to deal with LRA issues”. The AU is also developing project proposals with the state authorities “so that different donors and contributors can adequately contribute to South Sudan as a new nation”.

The deputy governor of the state, who doubles as state minister of commerce trade and investment, pointed out that the main priority of Western Equatoria is security which needs to be addressed for people to live in relative peace.

“Other priorities include infrastructure, education – more specially boarding schools for girls’ education – scholarships and vocational institutions for capacity building of youth in the state”, added the deputy governor.

Sapana also mentioned that health situation remains the main challenge since the state does not have functioning referral hospital. Currently many people are being referred to Juba.

The state minister of trade and investment, also prioritized investments and industrialization which he said will “boost employment opportunities in the state.”

“We are looking forward for the reviving of Nzara Agro industrial complex which when revived, will produce local textiles, oil, soap amongst others for local consumption and exports” disclosed Sapana.

In addition the state minister of information and communications Gibson Bullen Wande expressed concern about communication developments including development of Information Communication Technologies (ICT).

Wande stated that there is high need for the state to be able show live television coverage of events in the state. Presently the state has only one FM radio station.

AU delegations are currently touring all the ten states of the South Sudan doing assessments on developmental plans of the states before the declaration of independence in July.

(ST)