Jerman Charles, former commissioner of Torit County in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State has admitted that there are security challenges and economic crisis facing local residents in Torit and other areas in the state.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Charles said that citizens were suffering from hash humanitarian conditions and rampant insecurity in the state, forcing many families to flee from Torit and other towns.

He revealed that various residential areas were entirely deserted and that shops and banks remained closed, saying foreign traders left the area due to insecurity on roads connecting Torit town and other areas.

“Houses are empty and shops are closed in the town even Equity Bank and hotels are closed. The situation is bad, most of the traders left the area including traders from Uganda, Somalia and Sudan,” he said.  

The former official attributed the ongoing insecurity in the area to lack of cooperation between the state governor and security forces.