Telecommunications network, MTN last week restored services in Morobo County of South Sudan's Central Equatoria State.
The telecom provider switched off its services in the area at the peak of the armed conflict in 2016.
Ezra Lenga, the MTN regional sales representative based in the Yei region, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that the company had restored its network in Morobo County and Mugwo Payam of Yei River County.
“I want to tell the public that we managed to switch on our MTN sites in Longamera, Payume, Morobo, and tomorrow (Saturday) Kaya will be connected and the network covering 30 square miles is covering Busia, Kaya-Oroba, Lujule because I tested it myself and the signal is very clear in the border areas,” Lenga said.
Kennedy Malish, a resident in Morobo County, said several Payams including Kimba, Kaya, Lujule, Kendila, and Panyume are now well covered by the mobile telephone network.
“The network is very clear and we were in Kaya and the network is very clear too. We are very happy and people in Morobo are now buying and registering new sim cards and I am sure with this good development, our communication challenges have been addressed in the whole county,” Malish said.
Susan Tabu, another resident in the area was joyous and said the restoration of telephone services will improve the mobile money business in the area.
“We are very happy. We forgot about the use of phones here because there was no network and with the resumption of the network in the area we are now connected and we can access information and communication easily and also we can call for some money through our phones,” Tabu said.
Samuel Taban thanked the management of MTN for restoring the network saying it will help boost business and communication in the area.
“It has made life change all of sudden and now traders are ordering goods from Yei town on phone and they are delivered to Morobo town so easily and secondly communication with Morobo has become effective and we are very happy,” Taban said.
For his part, Hillary Juma Yoseke, the Morobo County Executive Director applauded the MTN technical team for switching on the network in the area. He said the network will improve security and expedite the return of internally displaced persons and refugees to the area.
“In Morobo County, the communication challenge has been addressed and people are very happy. Now people have started mobile money business in the area and the security situation is now stable because there is communication and people are returning from their villages, Uganda and DR Congo,” the local official said.