By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan has reached a historic milestone in its bid to secure international protection for the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, home to the largest land mammal migration on Earth. According to UNESCO website and other official social media page, the nation has validated an emergency nomination dossier in Juba, moving the country one step closer to inscribing it’s first-ever UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The validation occurred during a workshop convened by UNESCO in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Museums and National Heritage and the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism. The emergency nomination seeks to accelerate the inscription process to strengthen the site’s protection and long-term conservation.
Spanning the Boma and Badingilo National Parks, the landscape hosts millions of white-eared kob, tiang, and Mongalla gazelle in a globally significant ecological phenomenon.
Yayoi Segi-Vltchek, UNESCO Representative to South Sudan, described the move as a transformative moment for the nation’s natural heritage. “Validation of this nomination file represents a historic step in strengthening the protection of this extraordinary landscape and the communities who have lived alongside it for generations,” Segi-Vltchek stated.
She added that the government is affirming its commitment to safeguarding the site’s “Outstanding Universal Value.”
The landscape, which is currently managed by African Parks through an agreement with the government, is being positioned as a catalyst for national stability and economic growth. The Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Denay Jock Chagor, emphasized that the site could serve as a “source of national pride” that unites communities across the country.
Chagor noted that through stronger protection and collective action, the nation can “address insecurity and poaching while creating revenue generating opportunities.”
The push for UNESCO status also highlights the link between environmental resilience and national identity. Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage, Sarah Nyanath, affirmed the government’s commitment to responsible stewardship. “Heritage protection contributes to peacebuilding, livelihoods, environmental resilience and the strengthening of national identity,” Nyanath stated, pledging to preserve these treasures for future generations.
Community inclusivity remains a central component of the process. In recent months, UNESCO and national authorities have engaged community leaders, women, and youth living around the site to ensure local knowledge and aspirations are integrated into the safeguarding efforts.
This inclusive approach is required to demonstrate the site’s value ahead of the formal submission to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris.
The nomination dossier is now declared ready for submission under the requirements of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. The final consideration for inscription is set to take place at the World Heritage Committee’s next session in Busan, Republic of Korea, in July 2026.
If successful, the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape will become the first site in South Sudan to receive this prestigious international recognition.