The governor of South Sudan’s Aweil East state said the security situation his state was stable and under control, citing improvements in security coordination between security organs and the state leadership.

“The security now in the area is okay. It is stable and under maximum control. There is no problem.  The cooperation between the local leadership, security organs and our SPLA command has been strong.  There has been information sharing and quick respond whenever there is information related to security”, Governor Deng Deng Akuei told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday.

The state official said the area has recorded good harvest this year, citing mobilization and sensitization his government has championed during the start of planting season.   The people of the area, he added, will build on the increase and experience they have seen this year.

“As the state government, we will keep mobilizing and sensitizing our people to do more next year so that there is a rise in food production in terms of area of cultivation. We will encourage them to do more. For example, if a family cultivated two (2) feddan this year, we encourage them to increase this to at least four (4) or six (6) feddan next year. We are encouraging our people to be self-reliant so that there is no hunger. We want them to be food sufficient,” he explained.

Governor Deng further said the state of emergency declared by President Salva Kiir in July in four states in Bahr el Ghazal region is being evaluated by different security organs and local leadership to find out whether it is necessary to lift or recommend some other measures that need to be done to keep the area safe from security threats.