Minister of Wildlife, Conservation, and Tourism, Hon. Denay Chagor (in blue shirt), and the Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Hon. Gola Boyoi (wearing a cap), seated with the African Parks team. | Photo: Courtesy

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The Minister of Wildlife, Conservation, and Tourism visited Boma National Park, where he inspected historic tourism sites and facilities, intending to revive the sector and generate income.

Denay Chagor, who replaced his predecessor Rizik Zacharia Hassan—now the transport minister—arrived in Pibor earlier today, just a day after assuming his role.

He was accompanied by a team from African Parks, the organisation that manages Boma National Park.

Speaking SSBC after inspecting the tourism facilities, Chagor said there is a need to show the world the country’s potential in terms of tourism.

He said he plans to operationalize the tourism sites, noting that the country cannot afford to wait any longer.

“We need to show the world what South Sudan has—the beauty of this land, the beauty of this country. We want to make sure we operationalize the tourism sector immediately. And this is something that cannot wait.”

Meanwhile, the Greater Pibor Chief Administrator, Gola Boyoi, emphasized the economic importance of the sector. He said it is the responsibility of the state government to ensure that local communities are sensitized to the importance of wildlife in the area.

“It’s also money generated for this country. We engage our local communities because when you talk about wildlife, it’s not only the government; the community also plays a role, ” he said.

“So, it’s our responsibility as the state government to ensure we engage the local communities, sensitize them, and make them aware of the importance of wildlife in the area.”

Both officials stressed the need to conserve the industry and ensure wildlife is protected against poaching.