(JUBA) – Senior Presidential Envoy Adut Kiir met on Friday with Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi and a delegation of leaders from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to discuss critical economic and infrastructure challenges facing the region.
The talks placed particular focus on the Juba to Pibor road project, which is seen as central to boosting trade and easing movement between the capital and the administrative area. Leaders also raised the importance of reopening the border at Raat in Boma County, which connects South Sudan to Ethiopia. This crossing, once restored, could provide a direct route for goods and services and encourage greater trade with Ethiopian markets.
Improved road and border connections are expected to lower the cost of transporting goods to Pibor and neighbouring areas. Businesses in Pibor have long complained of high prices due to poor road networks and limited cross-border activity.
Trade experts in Juba say a functioning Raat border post could help local traders tap into Ethiopian supply chains and improve food and commodity availability in markets across Pibor and Greater Pochalla.
Another pressing issue presented by the GPAA leaders was widespread flooding. According to the delegation, six out of seven counties in the administrative area have been hit by floods, leaving thousands of households displaced and farms submerged. The leaders called for government intervention and invited the envoy to visit the affected communities to see the scale of the crisis.
Flood damage has disrupted agriculture and fishing, which are the main sources of income in the area. Local traders report that food supply has dropped sharply, pushing up prices in markets.
Chief Administrator Gola Boyoi stressed that without strong roads, border access, and flood control, economic activities in the GPAA would remain weak. He added that the region requires both infrastructure investment and urgent humanitarian support.
Hon. Adut Kiir commended the delegation for bringing forward the concerns and pledged to coordinate with the government in seeking solutions. She reaffirmed state support for Pibor and said the administration was committed to exploring ways to address both infrastructure development and flood recovery.
The Trade Ministry recently noted that greater investment in the Juba to Pibor road, as well as in border facilities with Ethiopia, could help unlock new opportunities for trade and growth in South Sudan’s east. With the right investment, GPAA could become an important hub for cross-border business, linking South Sudanese traders more closely with Ethiopia’s expanding markets.
