CEPO Executive Director Edmund Yakani. (Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio).

A civil society activist is calling on the government to prioritize paying civil servants’ arrears and boosting agriculture from the first revenue of the recently announced resumption of oil production in Upper Nile state.

Edmond Yakani – the executive director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization – added that this will demonstrate that the oil is a blessing rather than a curse to the people of South Sudan.

On Tuesday, Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol announced the resumption of oil production in Upper Nile state, following months of repair on ruptured pipeline and the lifting of force majeure by Sudan.

Mr. Kang confirmed the reopening of operations at Blocks 3 & 7 on January 8, 2025 with the full support of the international partners.

According to him, the production is estimated at 90,000 barrels a day for six months starting Wednesday.

Activist Yakani now says the proceeds of the oil should be channeled to clearing civil servants’ arrears and agricultural sector.

He said the oil revenue should not be mismanaged or used in a corrupt manner.

“This is a remarkable development between Khartoum and Juba. We are impressed, but, we have the following concerns to bring to the attention of the leadership in Juba,” he told Eye Radio.

“…that the first proceeds of the oil production or the first fund raised from the oil production should be used for clearing the salary arrears of the civil servants, and some of it should be injected in an investment on agricultural sector.”

“These should be the two immediate priorities on the table of the government for utilizing the proceeds of the oil that will be generated.”

The main pipeline pumping oil from South Sudan through Sudan for export was halted in March 2024 due to damage stemming from war in Sudan.

This signalled an economic disaster for South Sudan where the government struggled to meet its expenditures and civil servants and armed forces were not paid for that year.