Bilinyang slaughterhouse|PHOTO CRIDIT: Jenifer Nyling James

Central Equatoria State Minister of Animal Resources, has ordered the immediate suspension of operations at slaughterhouses in Rajaf Payam due to serious concerns over sanitation and public health.

“I declare the immediate suspension of the work of these slaughterhouses from now on until a decision is made on proper sanitation and cleanliness. The lives and health of people are more important than the financial benefit obtained from this facility,” said Minister Alex Lotiyu Elia

Minister Elia announced this during an inspection visit to Rajaf, where found unhygienic conditions at the facilities.

He reaffirmed that lives and health of people are more important than the financial benefit obtained from this facility.”

Minister Elia clarified that this is not a permanent closure, but a temporary suspension until the hygiene-related issues are resolved.

The move is to protect public health and ensure food safety for citizens in Juba and across Central Equatoria State.

“We did not close the work of the slaughterhouses, but we said that it would be suspended until the problem of cleanliness and sanitation is resolved,” he said.

He called for a meeting with slaughterhouse officials, butchers, the city council, and law enforcement on Friday morning to discuss the future of sanitation in the slaughterhouses.

Mr Elia  called on to stakeholder to meet in his office today Friday to solve the issue.

“I call on the officials from the slaughterhouse, the butchers, the city council and the law enforcement police to come to my office on Friday morning to think about the future of cleanliness in the slaughterhouse in order to save the lives of citizens in Juba, and the state”

Meanwhile, he appealed to the government to take a decisive position on the issue regarding the slaughterhouses in Juba.

On his part, the Director of the slaughterhouses in Bilinyang Paulo Paul, suggested for their relocation far from people or else provide vehicles to take the slaughterhouse wastes.

“We demand that the government provide us with a place to operate the slaughterhouse and that the engineers give us a permit so that we can move these slaughterhouses away from the people,” he said.

“We call on the authorities to provide vehicles to transport the slaughterhouse waste. Now the matter is everyone’s business.