A three-day Central Equatoria State Commissioners and Mayors Forum under the theme “Strengthening Local Government Structures for Sustainable Peace and Development” in Central Equatoria State kicked off on Monday in Juba.
Speaking during the opening of the forum organized by the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Central Equatoria State Governor Augustino Jadalla Kamilo called on the mayors and county commissioners to build and strengthen governance structures.
“Our policies at the county level should reflect the broader objectives of peacebuilding, stability, and socio-economic development. Let us use this forum to discuss practical ways of ensuring that county governance structures are strengthened following our shared vision,” he advised. “Governance is not just about policies; and it is about the tangible impact we create in the lives of our people. Therefore, I encourage each county commissioner to present a clear assessment of the situation in your respective counties or administrative area and Juba City Council.”
“Let us engage in meaningful discussion, exchange ideas, and commit ourselves to implementation of practical solutions that will be a strengthened governance in our state,” Governor Jadalla added.
He said the discussions would focus on the level of service delivery, areas requiring urgent attention, gaps between revenue collection and expenditure responsibilities, and the contributions of donors and NGOs.
“One issue I want to touch on briefly is the issue of cattle herders. During the 8th Governors’ Forum, we deliberated on this issue extensively, leading to the passing of resolutions that the national government should relocate all cattle camps from Jonglei State in Greater Equatoria and return armed cattle herders to Jonglei State,” he stated. “I call on all of you, especially the commissioners, to extensively deliberate on this issue of armed cattle herders. I expect ideas from you on how we, at our level, should address this issue. For example, what are your thoughts on allocating grazing land for cattle herders, imposing taxes on them, or disarming armed cattle herders before allowing them to graze in the area?”
For her part, Njoki Rahab, the UNMISS representative, asked the commissioners and mayors to deliberate on peace, development, and security to make Central Equatoria State great again.
“I want to note that since the Governors’ Forum last year, this is the first forum at the state level that brings together commissioners, mayors, and all other leaders within the state to further deliberate on those discussions. It is indeed a testament to the shared dedication in addressing not only the challenges but also the opportunities for Central Equatoria State in terms of peace, development, security, and everything else that makes Central Equatorial State great,” she said. “It is our sincere hope as UNMISS that by the end of this forum, all the areas that have challenges, areas where the opportunities lie, and indeed best practices and areas that we can build on will be discussed, especially in the areas of maintaining peace and security.”
“We also need to expand the civic and political space in the counties and have actionable recommendations and resolutions that will prioritize what needs to be done and built on,” Rahab added.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the state assembly, Peter Wani Kulang, said he hoped the forum would address most of the pressing issues in the counties and Juba City Council.
“I believe the aim of this important forum is for us to identify the challenges and achievements under the local government in all our counties, the Juba City Council, administrative areas, and by-laws,” he said. “This is the objective for which we have come here today.”