The government of the proposed Gogrial state in South Sudan's Warrap has received donations of food and cameras.

The Chinese government have one thousand bags of rice to Gogrial's ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management in collaboration with the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

It was received Thursday and will soon be distributed to a large number of returnees in the state according to the minister of education and social development William Chan Achuil.

“I would like also to informed you that, our target beneficiaries who are going to benefit from this food will consist of the huge number of the returnees who are residents of Khartoum “Jadid” and Mayen” said Chan.

Chan said the state government has warmly received the assistance extended by China to support returnees and vulnerable people affected by hunger in Gogrial.

Two new cameras

Seprately, the Gogrial community in the United States of America donated two video cameras to the ministry of information, culture, youth and sports for Gogrial state. The two cameras were handed over to the minister of information on Wednesday in the presence of the governor and his deputy.

Chief Akol Ayii Madut who lead the team that came from US with the video cameras said the members of diaspora have a great role to play in the development of Gogrial and that their little contribution will make difference.

“Because we believe that one day we can come back home and when we come back we come with honour that we need to do something in our home," said Akol.

“Everyone of us in the USA have his or her own SSTV channel and we know what is going here in South Sudan we watch it in every single day. So our hearts and our minds are here at home and it is only that our bodies now in the United States," said Akol.

He urged the state governor to arrange a visit to the diaspora community so that they will address issues of concern together.

The minister of information Adior Kuol Amum thanked the diaspora for its support and said the new equipment will be use for the benefit of all citizens.

She pledged that her ministry will work hard to provide means of information sharing with the people abroad.    

“We as the ministry of information we are looking forward to supporting the programmes and the activities of the state and we are looking forward to promote government information system to connect them with the people and for the people to be connected with their government” she said.

Court hearings halted for cultivation

Meanwhile, the county commissioner for Gogrial's newly created Apuk East county has issued local orders suspending all court sessions from 5 May through 5 September 2016.

Apuk East county commissioner Daniel Anyuon Chan says the move is to allow the local population to focus on cultivation as a way to fight food insecurity in his county.

“What I did in my county is that I suspended courts hearings so that people will go for farming and they will resume in September,” said Anyuon.

He added that only small courts at village level will continue to try cases related to hunger.

He urged all traditional leaders and payam officials to implement the orders accordingly.

In April, the council of ministers for Gogrial declared Friday as an agriculture day and all government institutions should not function on this particular day.