By Hou Akot Hou
Authorities in Twic County have suspended the operations of local courts during morning working hours to encourage residents to focus on farming as the rainy season begins.
Commissioner Mangok Kom Nyuol said the directive is part of local government initiatives aimed at strengthening agricultural production amid growing hunger in the county.
Speaking to the media in Tuarlei, Kom said the order has already been communicated to directors of all six payams in the county to ensure its implementation and encourage residents to prioritise cultivation.
“We have begun cultivation, and, as a matter of fact, we want people to start farming immediately. All those who have issues with their relatives should cease from opening cases against their own kin, relatives, or strangers,” the commissioner said.
Kom warned residents against violating the directive, saying offenders could face fines, although he did not specify the penalties.
“For those acting against the orders, you will carry your own cross. What we need is a policy of food production by local citizens instead of relying on imported food,” he added.
According to the commissioner, the directive will remain in force until September, when communities are expected to begin harvesting their crops.
He also instructed local police and law enforcement agencies to ensure the order is fully implemented across the county.
“The bench courts and paramount chiefs’ courts should remain closed until midday when people return from the farms, and only then can minor cases be settled under the trees or in the sheds,” Kom stated.
The move comes as authorities across South Sudan continue to promote local food production to address worsening hunger and food shortages.
However, some residents have criticised national agricultural authorities for failing to promote mechanised farming, arguing that most farmers still depend on traditional methods instead of modern equipment such as tractors.
Others accused some officials of diverting tractors allocated to states for large-scale farming for personal use rather than supporting community agricultural projects.
It remains unclear whether such local initiatives by county and payam authorities will significantly reduce hunger and food insecurity affecting many communities across the country.