Luri mini-bridge workers seen digging on site|Courtesy

Juba County has established a Mining Department to strengthen the regulation and management of mining activities and mineral resources across the county.

The department was created through a local order issued by Juba County Commissioner Samuel Emiliano Wani Pitia on Thursday.

The new department will be responsible for coordinating mining activities, registering mining companies and cooperatives, enforcing mining laws, and working with the Central Equatoria State Mining Authority and other relevant institutions.

It will also focus on environmental protection, security at mining sites, and ensuring mining activities contribute to the economic development of Juba County.

The county government says the move is aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and governance in the management of local natural resources.

The establishment of the department comes as Juba County seeks to ensure mineral resources are extracted legally, responsibly, and in a way that benefits local communities.

Gold, aluminum ore, and construction materials such as brick clay are among the minerals found and targeted for exploration in the Juba area.

However, gold mining activities, especially in the Luri Basin, have been affected by deadly violence, including an attack on a mining site in Kulipapa, also known as Jebel Iraq, that killed 36 people and wounded 10 others in March this year.