By Bosco Bush
Commissioner of Lainya County, Central Equatoria State, urges people to return home to support economic recovery by boosting agricultural production.
Emmanuel Richard Khamis assures of calm and stability in the area, adding that the country experiences an economic crisis characterized by high prices of commodities and a steep foreign exchange rate.
Mr. Khamis attributes the country’s economic crisis and high commodity prices to a lack of production and the influx of people idling in the capital city, Juba.
“One of the critical aspects that is affecting the economy of South Sudan is the fact that people are not engaging themselves productively,” he said, adding that without production, the currency would not be stable.
The commissioner questioned why a large number of people between 15-20 living in single households in Juba, with only one person working very hard to support the entire group.
“What are these people doing in Juba? Why are these people roaming and playing dominos every day?” he asked. “People need to get back to their villages, get back to their farms so that in the process we can be able to produce at least 60 per cent of our consumables.”
Lainya County was one of the areas affected by the 2016 conflict, which led to the displacement of many people as IDPs and refugees in neighbouring countries.
However, with the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, relative calm has returned to the region.
Mr. Khamis said that people are now living a peaceful life engaged in agricultural activities without security threats.
“Some people use this language of insecurity to escape responsibility,” Khamis said.
“I am speaking to you from Lainya, and I am happy to announce that this year, our people have massively engaged in farming. Believe me, one-two months from now this issue of hunger will not be the talk of the day in Lainya. Also, bringing peace is a collective responsibility.”
South Sudan continues to face a humanitarian crisis, with conflict between the government, opposing forces, and their respective allied militias, as well as inter-communal violence and cattle rustling in pockets of the country, resulting in the deaths, injuries, and displacement of civilians.
The Unity Government is currently negotiating with the opposition holdout group known as the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) under the Tumaini Peace Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya, in a bid to reach a consensus and further strengthen peace efforts in the country.