The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security has revealed that the institution has lost many assets at the Aweil Rice scheme due to interference from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

” We lost many assets at the Aweil Rice Ccheme because of the continuous interference from the state and it’s not in Northern Bahr el Ghazal alone, is all over the other states of South Sudan”, said Lily Albino Akol at launch of Aweil rice harvesting and winnowing for 2024–2025 early this week.

Minister Lily commended the efforts of partners in supporting farmers to boost the rice production.

However, she accused unnamed individuals in Northern Bah el Ghazal state of having encroached into the rice scheme and privatized assets meant for the project, among others.

“When his Excellency the President brought 1,000 tractors, the Aweil Rice scheme was given 20 tractors alone And Northern Bahr el Ghazal state was given 60 tractors. I was surprised to see that, the Aweil Rice scheme was hiring tractors from the private sector and  turned out they were our tractors.

She called for collaboration between the state authorities and the national government in managing the scheme.

Minister Mrs Alino went on to question the government Northern Bahr el Ghazal state for hiring out the Aweil Rice scheme land to the private sector.

” You cannot hire out this land to the private sector, it’s a huge land. Let private sector go to other bases that are not yet rehabilitated because they can do that.

The deputy agriculture minister said her ministry is considering restructuring the Aweil rice scheme including defining state and national assets to address the issue of interference from the local government

“So that assets are separated, what belongs to the rice scheme comes back to the rice scheme, then we can talk now about the management of the rice scheme.

“The rice scheme is within Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, and there’s no way we are going to exclude the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security from being there in the management of the scheme”, she added.

The Aweil Rice Scheme is a rice farm in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

It was established in 1944 by the British Colonial Administration but the decades of conflict between then Northern and Southern Sudan disrupted the project.

In 2023, the government launched the Scheme to revamp the project with the aim to address the food insecurity in the country.

The Kenyan mediators have tasked the heads of government and opposition delegations to the Tumaini Initiative to co-chair the discussions on the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan.

This followed what the Ambassador Mohamed Ali Guyo said a good, constructive, positive deliberation by the parties, the government, opposition and the stakeholders on Thursday.

“We had a good, constructive, positive deliberation by the parties, the government, opposition and the stakeholders.”

According to Guyo, during yesterday’s session, the opposition and stakeholders presented their views and analysis on the root causes of conflict in South Sudan.

Ambassador Guyo said the peace process has seen a positive progress, showing the level of trust and confidence that is building between all the stakeholders.

“This is indeed an excellent progress. It shows the level of trust and confidence that is building between all the stakeholder, and the government and the opposition.”

Guyo also commended the parties for exercising the spirit of collegiality in the process.

“The progress we have made so far is spirit of collegiality and partnership that has been seen as attested to by yesterday’s joint press conference.

“This time, the meeting will be co-chaired by leaders of government delegation and the opposition”, he added.

The parties will today reflect on the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan, before meeting on Saturday.