Central Equatoria Governor Seeks Road Push
On 27 November in Juba, Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil asked the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to extend its road-building drive beyond trunk routes. Each new feeder road, he argued, would carve pathways for farmers to markets and spur long-delayed rural growth.
Agricultural Revival Hinges on Access
CES relies heavily on subsistence farming, yet vast harvests rot when rains render villages inaccessible. Officials calculate that even a ten-kilometre gravel road can cut transport time by half and raise farmgate prices, giving families capital to reinvest in seeds and tools.
Governor Adil therefore framed roads as “quick-impact projects” capable of translating ceasefire dividends into visible livelihoods. “We see infrastructure as the shortest route to food security,” his press secretary Derick Derickson relayed after the meeting (Eye Radio).
UNMISS Pledges Coordinated Support
For UNMISS civil-affairs officer Victor Fasama, the proposal dovetails with the mission’s mandate: protect civilians, connect communities, and nurture peace dividends. He signalled readiness to coordinate with provincial engineers and security forces so machines can roll as early as the next dry season.
Farmers and Peace Committees React
Derickson added that the Governor “was very thankful for the UNMISS support, particularly the support that UNMISS always extends to the peace committees established across the whole of Central Equatoria State.” Those committees mediate land rows and ward off revenge attacks that could undermine planting seasons.
Agricultural unions in Yei and Terekeka cautiously welcome the plan, stressing that stable fuel supplies and maintenance budgets must follow the graders. In the words of farmer Ladu Peter, “A road opens the door, but it still needs someone to sweep the floor.”