Yei Residents Demand Quick Deployment of New Commissioner Amid Security Fears

(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – Residents of Yei Town have welcomed the appointment of Emmanuel Taban Seme as the Caretaker Commissioner of Yei River County, while calling for his immediate deployment to address growing insecurity in the area.

The appointment comes at a time when residents say the county is experiencing a surge in security incidents, including reports of murder, rape, robberies and road ambushes in several areas.

Community members have urged Central Equatoria State Caretaker Governor Augustino Jadalla Kamilo Wani to expedite the deployment of the new commissioner so that he can begin restoring law and order.

Johnson Poru Hillary, a resident of Yei Town, said the absence of county leadership had created a vacuum that contributed to emerging security challenges.

“In regard to what is happening now in Yei, it’s what we did not expect. There are a lot of insecurity incidents and we had a power vacuum. There is a need for intervention and I request the caretaker governor to send the commissioner to counter some of these emerging problems we are having in our county,” he said.

Sultan Kenyi Elisha John, an area headman in Hai Peace, also welcomed the appointment but stressed the need for a speedy deployment of the commissioner.

“There was a power vacuum in Yei and following this vacuum, Yei recorded many security challenges, including road ambushes and the killing of a secondary school student in the Luparate area. We know Yei River County is one of the hotspot areas and we want a speedy installation and deployment of the commissioner on the ground,” he said.

Meanwhile, Modi Arkangelo, Head of the Yei Civil Society Forum, urged the state government to ensure the commissioner assumes office without further delay.

“The commissioner is the chairperson of security at the county level and we want to call on the state governor to urgently send the commissioner to Yei by next week to carry out his administration in the county. The process of his deployment should be done quickly to rectify the leadership challenges on the ground,” Arkangelo said.

The appointment of Emmanuel Taban Seme is part of a broader set of caretaker appointments announced by Governor Jadalla for counties across Central Equatoria State and the leadership of Juba City Council.

Residents now hope the new county leadership will prioritise security, civilian protection and the restoration of public confidence across Yei River County.