Governor Jadalla addresses Yei residents. Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Photo: CES/Facebook).
The Governor of Central Equatoria State has appealed to young people in Yei River County to avoid becoming “a fuel for achieving political interests” and focus on building their communities as he addressed an event on Friday.
Speaking during a graduation ceremony for Emmanuel Christian University in Yei, Augustino Jadalla urged young people in the area to dedicate their time and energy to productive activities.
Jadalla said peace will pave way for economic opportunities and for children to safely go to school and secure their future and that of the country.
“I personally appeal to the sons and people of Yei to give peace a chance so that stability can prevail to open more opportunities for children to go to school. The youth should use their energies for development, for creating prosperity, which the people of Yei River County are capable of achieving,” he said.
“This will define the future of Yei and the entire country. I call upon the citizens of this strategic county to embark on developmental activities to secure and guarantee a promising future to its people than embarking on war.
Governor Jadalla made the remarks two days after simultaneous attacks in neighboring areas left 24 people dead including ten young boys, according to the UN and media reports.
On Friday, the state government said it was shocked by what it describes as horrific massacres of civilians in Wonduruba Administrative Payam and Ganji Payam of Juba County.
Further, the governor called on graduates of the Emmanuel Christian university to prioritize their future and avoid being used by politicians to achieve their personal interests.
“As youth of today, don’t allow yourself to be like firewood like fuel for those who have their own political interests don’t allow yourself to be utilized like food. For that don’t allow yourself to be utilized.”
This week, Governor Jadalla embarked on a tour to the counties to assess security and humanitarian situation of local communities and returnees.
The violent incidents on between Wednesday and Thursday occurred hours after alleged fighting between rival factions of the National Salvation Front (NAS), and shortly after the visiting Governor Jadalla left for Yei.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan said he has intensified patrols across Central Equatoria and is engaging with authorities as well as community leaders to prevent further escalations.
UNMISS chief Nicholas Haysom said protection of civilians is paramount and must be respected at all times.
Haysom stated that there is no justification for the extrajudicial killing of civilians, urging all parties to abide by international human rights law.
Last month, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) indefinitely suspended all its activities in Yei County after an ambush on its staff and a partner organization while returning to the town from an outreach activity.
The unknown armed men reportedly forced some of the staff to disembark from their vehicles at gunpoint, before kidnapping two others who were released 24 hours later.
The incident, according to MSF, was the third of its kind around Yei in three months, pointing to a systematic attack on the provision of humanitarian aid.
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