Hon. Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit,
Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes
Republic of South Sudan-Juba
First, I want to congratulate you on your new job as Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes. Your appointment comes at a very important time for South Sudan. Our country faces ongoing problems and a growing need for good, accessible social services. We hope that your unique background and direct access to the President will help you solve problems and bring real, positive changes to communities that have been ignored and underserved. People in South Sudan want fair access to education, healthcare, and better infrastructure. Many South Sudanese people expect your appointment to make their daily lives better. It is also widely seen as the President’s renewed promise to address the long-standing needs of the South Sudanese people.
I also want to praise your strong dedication to speaking up for our diverse population. Your willingness to truly listen to everyone’s concerns and your openness to helpful criticism are truly special qualities. At a time when leaders often seem out of touch, I can confidently say that we have found a leader in you who offers a remarkable and fresh alternative to the usual ways of our current politicians. Your approach creates a feeling of hope and a belief that the people’s wishes and problems are not only being recognized but are also being taken seriously. This will lead to more inclusive and responsive governance.
I can clearly say that you are a new hope for South Sudan, especially in this new role you have just taken on. Please treat this job with great respect and urgency to meet the hopes of the South Sudanese people. I am not saying it is easy, but know that you have the support of many people.
A call for fair development
Hon. Adut, as you begin this important mission, I respectfully ask you to think about the Anyuak Community. The Anyuak tribe lives in remote and isolated areas in Pochalla and Akobo counties in GPAA and Jonglei state. Their main way of life is farming. The Anyuak Community has had very limited or no access to essential government services. The severe lack of good roads, working hospitals, and proper schools has greatly slowed their development and affected their overall well-being.
The community in Pochalla, in particular, faces huge and complicated problems because it is extremely isolated geographically and lacks basic infrastructure. This makes them very vulnerable. Pochalla is completely cut off from the rest of South Sudan by roads. It depends solely on Ethiopia for a maximum of 3-4 months a year, after which the area becomes completely isolated. Many people from Pochalla who want to return home from our capital city need USD 300 for an air ticket, which is too expensive for many struggling citizens.
Hon. Adut, you don’t need to be reminded of the selfless contributions of Pochalla and certainly the Anyuak Community. Pochalla played a significant role in the fight for freedom, a contribution that seems to have been largely forgotten after the conflict. During this key period, the Anyuak Community showed strong dedication, giving everything—their people, their ancestral land, and their valuable resources—to support the bigger cause of freedom. This great sacrifice was made with the understanding that their efforts, like those of any other South Sudanese, would help create a fairer future.
Yet, despite this huge effort and sacrifice, the community has received little in return. Pochalla has consistently faced neglect, especially in providing essential services. This neglect is clear in several key areas. The lack of developed road infrastructure severely limits economic activity, access to markets, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. The education system is still very undeveloped, lacking good schools and enough resources to properly prepare its young people for the future. Similarly, good health services are mostly missing, leaving the community open to preventable diseases and without proper medical care. The region continues to struggle with widespread insecurity from within the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), a constant threat that harms stability and development.
Many of our liberators who lived in or passed through Pochalla know what I am talking about and share these feelings. The combined effect of these difficulties has been significant, leading many people to leave their homes in search of better living conditions and opportunities elsewhere. The ongoing problems faced by Pochalla stand in stark contrast to the sacrifices made during the liberation struggle, highlighting a continuing need for recognition, investment, and fair development.
Pochalla’s Hidden potential: Farming, minerals, and nature tourism
Pochalla, despite being geographically isolated, has great undeveloped potential for farming and minerals. The area has fertile soils, especially along the rivers, which are very good for growing various crops. Right now, people mostly farm to feed themselves, growing crops like sorghum, maize, groundnuts, and various vegetables. The abundant rainfall during the wet season also supports a variety of farming practices. With proper investment in irrigation systems and modern farming methods, Pochalla could become a major food producer, greatly helping national food security. There is also potential for cash crops like sesame and sunflowers, which could boost local economies and provide ways for residents to earn income.
Pochalla is also believed to have promising mineral deposits. While detailed geological surveys are limited, observations and stories suggest there are minerals like gold, iron ore, and possibly other valuable metals. The region’s rock formations are similar to areas in other parts of Africa known for mineral wealth. Responsible exploration and extraction of these resources, if they are found to be commercially viable, could change Pochalla’s economy, attracting investment, creating jobs, and funding much-needed infrastructure development. However, any such development would need to be carefully managed to protect the environment and ensure fair sharing of benefits with the local community.
Besides its farming and mineral wealth, Pochalla’s closeness to Boma National Park offers a significant, but largely undeveloped, opportunity for nature tourism. The park, known for its diverse wildlife, including large herds of migrating white-eared kob, elephants, and other species, could attract both local and international tourists. Developing tourism infrastructure in Pochalla, such as eco-lodges, guided tours, and better access roads, could generate a lot of money, create local jobs, and provide an alternative income source for the community. Furthermore, a well-managed tourism sector could encourage greater appreciation for conservation efforts and cultural preservation, offering a sustainable way to economic development for the region.
Key things to think about for your first days in office
- Building road infrastructure: The immediate need is for a single, complete road network to connect Pochalla with other regions of the country, instead of scattered roads. The community of Pochalla has historically helped provide services that are usually the government’s job. For example, in 2018, the community helped set up a telecommunications network in Pochalla, though the President eventually stepped in to approve a network for the area. Currently, the community is using its limited money to connect with the nearest market in Ethiopia.
- Building the promised boarding school: In 2019, President Salva Kiir made a serious promise to build a fully equipped boarding school. This important promise was told directly to the Anyuak kings and chiefs, and it resonated deeply within the community, immediately seen as a sign of hope. The Anyuak people naturally value education as the main and strongest path to a brighter future and a better quality of life. Building this much-anticipated school would not only fulfill a presidential promise—an important act of good faith and governance—but also provide a critical and basic education framework for the youth, who currently have very limited access to good schooling, thereby continuing a cycle of disadvantage.
- Referral hospital: Given its remote location, Pochalla needs a referral hospital fully equipped with modern medical equipment, facilities, and medicines.
- Providing four tractors to improve agricultural productivity: Farming is essential for the Anyuak community’s survival. We are confident that, as Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes, you will ensure these vital requests are met.
I am deeply confident that with your exceptional leadership, strong dedication, and direct order from the President, this long-awaited and much-needed project can finally happen. Your success in this challenging yet extremely rewarding role will be judged not just by big policy announcements, but, more importantly, by your real ability to bring essential services directly to the most vulnerable and marginalized people. You wisely said, and I quote, “The celebration will come when we open up a hospital, a celebration will come when we open up a school for children in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.” I strongly believe that fulfilling the serious promise made to the Anyuak people by building this vital boarding school and the requests above would be a truly remarkable and deeply meaningful first step in a journey of meaningful and lasting change, setting a powerful example for inclusive development across all of South Sudan.
Sincerely,
Agade Obang Aballa
Contact: mamagoro2013@gmail.com