Greater Mundri citizens demand state

JUBA — The citizens of the greater Mundri area have demanded the reinstitution of the now-defunct Amadi State along the geographical and political boundaries of the British colonial time Amadi district, Mundri East  County Commissioner Fozia Margret Emmanuel said on Monday, Radio Tamazuj reports.

Amadi State was one of the 32 states created by President Salva Kiir in January 2017. In February 2020, he cut the number of states back from 32 to 10 clearing the way for the formation of the transitional unity government.

Speaking during the centenary celebrations of the Episcopal Church’s Internal Province of Amadi at the Lui Diocese in Mundri East, Commissioner Emmanuel said she received a petition from the citizens and chiefs of Mundri demanding the reinstitution of Amadi State for better service delivery.

“The citizens of greater Mundri told me as the commissioner to tell the representative of the president that the place called Amadi District was the first to be established in this place and that they want it reinstituted as Amadi State because the current state headquarters is far from them,” Commissioner Emmanuel said.

She said the people of Mundri were neglected because they are from the Western Equatoria State capital, Yambio.

“Even me as the Commissioner who stays in Mundri East, I am far away from the governor. The governor cannot do anything in Mundri East but if Amadi State is created, it can help Mundri East,” the commissioner said. “At the moment, the people of Mundri East are abandoned and neglected and this has a negative impact on the county.”

For his part, Governor Alfred Futuyo said it is not a time to demand a state as the government needs to first restore peace in the country before that discussion will be held.

“Western Equatoria State has been amalgamated for a while now for purposes of implementing the peace agreement,” Governor Futuyo said. “People are free to speak what they want.”