Eastern Equatoria Welcomes Returnees

The Government of Eastern Equatoria State last week received hundreds of South Sudanese from Khartoum.

The close to 22 families arrived in the state capital Torit from Juba where they had temporarily settled on their way from the Sudanese capital.

The state leadership led by the State Governor Brigadier General Louis Lobong Lojore welcomed the returnees at their camp in Torit Technical Centre.

Accompanied by his deputy Nartisio Loluke Manir, the State Legislative Assembly Speaker Emmanuel Ambrose Ocholimoi and the Torit County Commissioner Felix Otuduha Siro among other key state officials, Governor Lojore welcomed the returnees back home, saying Khartoum was not their home.

“Eastern Equatoria State is your original home. South Sudan is your home. East or West home is the best. However, you can see that your home is still underdeveloped unlike Khartoum and you all know reasons for that”, he said.

He urged them to support his administration in initiating development in the state.

Governor Lojore advised graduates whose basic education is Arabic to join evening English classes so as to upgrade their language proficiency and to improve their writing and communication skills.

Commissioner Siro assured the returnees of immediate plots allotments and provision of security.

The Governor’s Political Affairs Advisor Alphonse Chacha Muras urged the returnees to register in their numbers for the forthcoming referendum.

The returned recounted their ordeals in Khartoum, citing arbitrary arrests as they went about fending for their families.

Their chief Khamis Thomas Okanyi appealed to the state government to absorb the returnee graduates into the civil service.