Zain network aerial - Courtesy photo.

Panyijira County of Unity State is now connected to Zain telecommunication network for the first time since South Sudan’s independence.

According to the state Information and Telecommunication Minister David Gai Jiejor, the installation will ease communication and facilitate security information in the state.

“The development in Unity state especially in Panyijira County is that we have installed Zain Communication Network currently, that tested yesterday in Panyijira County,” said Minister Gai.

Panyijiar County is a remote area of more than 100,000 people in the far South of Unity State.

Isolated by seasonal flooding in the heart of the country, the area had been without a mobile network for twelve years, since the country’s independence.

Locals have had limited options to reconnect with people across the country and elsewhere in the world. Only the few privileged with Thuraya, mostly army generals and officials had been able to communicate using the expensive devise.

However, on Wednesday, the state government and the Kuwait-based telecommunication company Zain installed a mobile network in the area.

According to Minister Gai, the lack of network in the landlocked county impacted negatively on socioeconomic development and security situation in the area.

But the information official believes that with the mobile network in place, locals can now communicate effectively with the rest of the country and the world.

“This is the first of its kind from the government of Unity state and for the people of Panyijira to access the network since the independence of our country.”

Zain office in Juba also confirmed the establishment of the network in a short statement on Facebook.

Panyijiar is the latest area to be connected to a mobile network after Maper, Rumbek North County, and Pochalla in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area connected last year.

South Sudan has three Mobile Network operators which include, the Kuwait-based mobile operator, Zain alongside the South African-owned MTN and South Sudan-based Digitel Network which was launched last year.