CES Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony| By Office of Governor

JUBA, August 20, 2026 — Central Equatoria Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony has outlined a series of accomplishments and new commitments following his 12-day tour of the Greater Yei corridor, with security, infrastructure, healthcare and education among the key issues raised during the visit.

In a press statement issued Thursday, Adil outlined commitments covering security, roads, healthcare, education, mining and the return of displaced citizens — putting his administration under pressure to turn the announcements into action.

The 12-day tour took the Governor through Lainya, Wonduruba, Yei River County, Morobo and Kaya, where communities raised concerns about insecurity, poor roads, inadequate health services, education and displacement.

Adil said the purpose of the tour was to listen to communities and assess their conditions firsthand. “I went to listen, to see conditions with my own eyes, and to act,” he said.

What the Governor accomplished

The tour was not limited to meetings and promises. The Governor presided over several projects and interventions during the visit.

In Lainya, Adil commissioned Aggrey Jaden Memorial Secondary School, opened the Lainya County Women’s Association Centre and the Lainya Seed Bank, and unveiled a statue honouring Gumbora’s heritage.

He also inspected Lainya Hospital and directed its renovation and expansion. Lainya’s health centre is to be upgraded to a county rural hospital, while Kupera Secondary School was also announced as part of the government’s education plans.

In Wonduruba, the Governor received a written memorandum from the community covering healthcare, maternal services, education, youth support and the reintegration of returnees.

In Yei River County, Adil witnessed the inauguration of the University of Yei by Vice President Dr James Wani Igga. He also announced the elevation of Yei Civil Hospital to a regional referral hospital and the upgrading of Yei Day Secondary School to day-and-boarding status.

At Mugwo, the Governor inaugurated a community-initiated maternity ward at Mugwo Primary Health Care Centre and pledged government support for its completion.

In Morobo, he inaugurated the Central Market for women entrepreneurs, inspected Morobo Hospital and donated SSP 50 million toward the construction of Umbachi Primary School.

He also committed to upgrading Kanyara Secondary School with boarding and vocational facilities and called for the reopening of Kimba Secondary School.

These interventions, Adil said, reflected the government’s effort to respond directly to priorities raised by communities.

“Your voices are now on the record of this government, and they will guide its work,” he said.

Security remains the biggest challenge

Despite the projects and announcements, insecurity remains one of the biggest obstacles to development in parts of the region.

In Wonduruba, Adil made a direct appeal to Gen. John Kenyi Latia to end fighting that has displaced civilians and closed schools.

“That appeal stands. The door to peace remains open,” the Governor said. In Morobo, he also called on armed groups, including SPLM-10 forces, to abandon violence.

“I say plainly what I said there: insecurity is holding back aid and development in Morobo,” Adil said.  He urged those still carrying arms to lay them down and join the peace process.

“Those still carrying arms including the SPLM-10 forces should lay them down and join peace,” he said.

Mining concerns

Communities in Wonduruba also raised concerns about alleged illegal mining. Adil said the state government, through the Mining Authority, would investigate the activities and enforce licensing requirements.

He directed artisanal miners and other miners operating in Wonduruba and across Central Equatoria to register and obtain the necessary licences.

Cross-border cooperation

In Kaya, the state government agreed with counterparts from Koboko in Uganda to strengthen cross-border security and combat smuggling.

Adil said a broader framework involving Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo was also being proposed.

He also appealed to South Sudanese citizens living across the border to return home.

“To our citizens still in refuge across the border: come home, register, and take part in shaping your country’s future,” he said.

The road ahead

Among the Governor’s most significant commitments is the rehabilitation of the Juba–Lainya–Yei–Kaya Road, alongside the operationalisation of Yei Civil Hospital as a regional referral facility and the upgrading of health centres and schools.

The Governor said his administration should be judged by whether those commitments are delivered.

“We will be measured by delivery, and we accept that measure,” Adil said.  With the tour now behind him and the Governor back in Juba, attention is shifting from what was announced and inaugurated during the visit to what his administration does next.

The commitments include road rehabilitation, hospital upgrades, school improvements, completion of the Mugwo maternity ward, action against illegal mining and efforts to improve security.

Adil also urged citizens to register and participate in the December elections. “Your voice, peacefully expressed, is the strength of this state,” he said.

He ended his statement with a message that now places the burden of proof on the government. “Peace is possible. Development follows peace. Central Equatoria will have both,” Adil said.