YAMBIO – The Governor of Western Equatoria State, Badagbu Daniel Rimbasa, has announced plans to recruit additional police officers and expand training for existing personnel, citing persistent insecurity in parts of the state.
The announcement followed a meeting with officials from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Yambio, where the UN agency pledged technical and logistical support for the initiative.
Rimbasa said the move is intended to strengthen law enforcement and improve the police response to incidents in both rural and urban areas, where communities have faced recurring challenges, including localised clashes and disputes over land and resources.
“We will recruit more officers and train those already in the system on human rights, protection of civilians, and humanitarian laws so they can maintain order and peace,” he said.
While state authorities frame the plan as part of broader efforts to stabilise the region, the announcement comes against a backdrop of longstanding concerns over weak policing capacity and limited state presence in remote areas of Western Equatoria.
The governor linked the security push to wider governance reforms, saying improved coordination between the executive, legislature, and judiciary would be critical to sustaining peace. He also referenced ongoing public finance management reforms, though he did not specify how these would directly support the security sector.
UNMISS officials said they would support the initiative through capacity-building programmes. Charles Okwir, a protection officer with the UNMISS Yambio field office, said recent training efforts had focused on strengthening the role of police in civilian protection.
He noted that two protection of civilians focal points had been appointed within the police service to continue mentoring officers, particularly on human rights standards and community engagement.
However, analysts caution that recruitment and training alone may not address deeper structural challenges facing the police, including poor funding, lack of equipment, and limited accountability mechanisms. In many parts of South Sudan, strained relations between security forces and communities have undermined trust and hindered effective policing.
Local observers say rebuilding that trust will require not only professional training but also consistent enforcement of discipline within the ranks and improved oversight.
Western Equatoria has remained relatively stable compared to some other regions of the country. Still, sporadic insecurity linked to communal tensions and criminal activity continues to disrupt livelihoods in several areas.
The state government argues that expanding the police force will help deter crime and create conditions for economic activity and service delivery. Whether the planned reforms will translate into improved security on the ground remains to be seen.
