New Pochalla County commissioner pledges peace, reconciliation

The newly appointed commissioner of Pochalla County in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has promised to prioritize peace and reconciliation.

The newly appointed commissioner of Pochalla County in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has promised to prioritize peace and reconciliation.

Commissioner Otho Okoti said cultivating peace and reconciliation will enable him to deliver development to residents.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday after a welcoming ceremony organized by his community in Juba, Commissioner Otho said the time had come for the people of Pochalla to enjoy peace dividends despite the previous challenging moments.

“One of my priorities would be to make Pochalla accessible to the rest of the country and Ethiopia so that the people can get basic services. The reason people are not going back home is that there is insecurity and no basic services. So we will work to foster peace and security,” he said.

Commissioner Otho revealed that plans were afoot to host a peace dialogue forum between civilians and the military to restore peace and trust among residents of Pochalla.

For her part, Achalla Aballa Goi, a lawmaker representing Akobo County in the National Legislative Assembly and the head of Anyuak Women Association, said they organized the event to symbolize their unity and support for the government. 

“As women, we came up with this event to express our love for peace and unity. We are happy for our newly appointed officials and encourage them to work for development. We are praying for peace in Greater Pibor and Jonglei State and South Sudan as a whole,” she said.