The top relief official in Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has asked all nongovernmental organizations that were managing their operations in Jonglei State from Bor to establish offices in Pibor starting next year rather than continuing to manage programmes in Pibor from the Jonglei State capital Bor. 

David Yau Yau's 'Cobra Faction' which controls the Pibor administration has stated that it wants to establish greater Pibor as a state and the former rebel group secured autonomy from the Jonglei State administration under the terms of a peace agreement signed last year.

Coordinator of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) in Pibor Okwier Ojullo cited the separation of the GPAA from Jonglei State as the reason for his request.

The officer said he also informed various humanitarian partners to start consider informing their country directors to plan for the process. “I have told them in a meeting we held recently that they need to prepare their relocation plans,” the official said.

NGOs operating in various counties of the Pibor Administrative Area are being asked to also consider construct their own compound starting from next year. “There are few NGOs that have their compounds in Pibor but we want each to have their own compound constructed with concrete materials,” he said.

Officials in Pibor town also said that many NGOs have no compounds of their own. Currently, there are 22 NGOs both international and community-based organizations working in Pibor.