Vice President James Wani Igga says oil production in Upper Nile State has dropped by half due to the on-going conflict.

He says production is only in Addar and Faluj oil fields.

Mr. Igga says the country’s production has dropped from 300,000 barrels per day to 160,000 barrels per day as a result of the crisis.

“Foreign workers who used to work in the oil fields fear for their lives despite that the government has deployed forces in the areas to guard them,” said Mr Igga.

The Vice President appealed to the people of South Sudan not to depend entirely on oil as a source of income. He urged them to engage in agriculture as an alternative source.

“We are relying on something wrong – which oil. Ask yourselves whether – during the Anya Nya One movement, which lasted 17years, was there oil?

“Did we depend on oil by then? What we wanted was this land or this country but now, we got it. So how are you going to govern this country?”

Vice President James Wani Igga, was addressing the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Juba.