Authorities in Pochalla County in South Sudan’s Boma state have called on mobile network providers to expand the network coverage to Pochalla town and its rural areas.

The authorities made the appeal following a meeting with Zain officials in the capital Juba yesterday.

Pochalla Commissioner Jay Adingora Alual told Radio Tamazuj yesterday his area lacks key infrastructure including mobile phone network coverage.

The local official pointed out that the management of Zain had expressed its readiness to set up coverage in Pochalla County. However, he said the mobile phone company preferred the presence of UNMISS in the county before it could start operating in the area.

 Alual revealed that the UN mission in the country is considering the option of opening a new base in Pochalla area.

Last month, religious leaders from Pochalla wrote a letter to UNMISS requesting the opening of a new base in order to reduce killings and child abductions in the area.