The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting infrastructure rehabilitation and institutional reforms in South Sudan’s Yei River County, with a focus on housing, education, land administration and long-term recovery.
EU Ambassador to South Sudan Pelle Enarsson made the pledge during a visit to Yei on Tuesday, where he met county officials, traditional leaders and development partners to assess progress on EU-funded recovery projects and discuss priorities for the county’s reconstruction.
Speaking after meeting officials from the County Department of Physical Infrastructure, Enarsson said the visit was intended to review projects that are helping communities recover from years of conflict while promoting peace and development.
“I am visiting Yei to see the results of projects that we have been supporting here. These projects help people rebuild their homes, enable children to go to school and strengthen communities. They combine peacebuilding with development, and I have been impressed by what I have seen,” Enarsson said.
He praised residents of Yei for welcoming refugees and returnees, saying their efforts had contributed to rebuilding communities affected by years of displacement.
“I am grateful to the people of Yei for receiving those returning from refugee camps. We are pleased to be here to support these efforts,” he added.
During a separate meeting with officials from the County Department of Lands and Survey, Enarsson reiterated the EU’s commitment to strengthening land governance through capacity building, digitalisation of land records and institutional reforms aimed at improving service delivery.
He said the success of such initiatives would depend on stronger government ownership and investment, warning that many development programmes in South Sudan continued to rely heavily on international donors.
“The plans being developed now need to be implemented. South Sudan faces important challenges ahead, including the elections, but it also needs stronger public financial management,” Enarsson said.
“Many of these projects still rely too much on international partners. There needs to be greater engagement from the national government to sustain these initiatives. Please continue investing in your people because they have great potential.”
Richard Lugala Godo, Director of Physical Infrastructure in Yei River County, said discussions centred on introducing a digital land administration system to improve record management, eliminate duplication of land documents and increase transparency in land administration.
“Digitalising land documentation will help eliminate duplication and improve efficiency. Once staff are properly trained to manage digital records, many of the challenges we have experienced with land documentation will be addressed,” Lugala said.
He urged residents to cooperate with county authorities as reforms to the land administration system are rolled out.
“We ask the people of Yei to embrace these changes and support the new system so that land can be managed in a transparent and orderly manner,” he said.
Enarsson was accompanied by officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other development partners. The delegation was received by county authorities and traditional leaders before holding talks with the Yei River County Commissioner on infrastructure rehabilitation, institutional reforms and other recovery priorities.
The European Union is among South Sudan’s largest development partners, supporting programmes in infrastructure, governance, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding as the country seeks to recover from years of conflict and prepare for elections.
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