By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The senior political officer at the African Union Mission in South Sudan, Prosper Nii Nortey Addo, has called on South Sudan leaders to dialogue and ensure peace in order to accelerate agriculture.
Addressing the media on Tuesday during the official launching ceremony for the Agrofood Expo, Addo reiterated that the country faces food insecurity and hence requires commitment toward peace
He added that the country faces food insecurity and hence requires commitment toward peace.
According to IPC, South Sudan had 7.7 million food-insecure people, of whomever 2.3 million faced hunger and malnutrition.
He said for Agri-food Expo and business to transform, it needed peace and stability in South Sudan and for food to go to markets.
“So, it is important that we ensure that there are peace, security, and stability in South Sudan,” he noted.
Addo stated that agriculture is supposed to be the backbone of every economy in this world because everybody had to do it in South Sudan.
“So, this is not supposed to be discredited, but the fact still remains that we have challenges,” Addo stated.
He expressed that South Sudan has the potential to produce enough food, as it has the necessary factors for production.
“The potential is there. We have the land, we have the rivers, and the resources are immense. So how do we address the gap or the challenge we face to transform this challenge that we are facing and better define what is expected of South Sudan?” Addo exclaimed.
He said for every state to begin strategizing, it needed access to markets and preserved food, adding that it can give South Sudan value-added to be able to sell foodstuffs out of the country apart from subsistence.
“It’s not enough to say we want to diversify from oil to agriculture. We also have to commit resources. I think it is very important that we also capacitate farmers who are toiling day and night to produce, to have the needed resources, the fertilizers, and the resources they need to bring up all the produce they can so you not only have enough to eat but also some to export,” Addo urged.
He urged the ministries that work together to achieve Agri-food Expo and business visions, missions, and goals in 2026.
“The ministries would have to work together.
However, according to IPC phase three, “South Sudan has been facing a severe food security crisis, with over half its population experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity driven by conflict, climate shocks (floods), an economic crisis causing high food prices, and the influx of Sudanese refugees.”
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