South Sudan is boosting its fight against poaching with the graduation of 100 new wildlife rangers in one of its largest states, Jonglei.<\/p>\n
The rangers completed a specialised training programme in the state capital, Bor, supported by the conservation group African Parks. Officials described the move as a historic step for protecting the region\u2019s ecologically significant wildlife.<\/p>\n
Jonglei\u2019s Governor, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, addressed the new rangers, urging local communities to end poaching and view conservation as a \u201cnational obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou come from this region\u2026 you know all the corners, all the priorities, all the context of this state,\u201d Governor Kok said. \u201cYou are going to protect the wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the region had long been excluded from conservation efforts but said that was now changing.<\/p>\n
The national Minister of Wildlife, Tourism and Conservation, Denay Jock Chagor, issued a stern warning to poachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo our citizens, today marks a new beginning in law enforcement,\u201d Minister Chagor said. \u201cIf you\u2019re a hunter\u2026 know that the law is now in effect. If you have a gun, there will be a ranger with a gun in front of you. I mean it. The law must be enforced.\u201d<\/p>\n
New technology to combat poaching<\/p>\n
The Wildlife Service\u2019s National Director, Gen. Khamis Adiang, announced that new technology would be deployed to support the rangers\u2019 work.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur rangers have now been trained, and from what I\u2019ve seen, they\u2019re doing great \u2014 for the first time in a long time,\u201d Gen. Adiang said, adding that the service would soon use operational drones to improve surveillance.<\/p>\n
A representative from African Parks, Florington Aseervatham, reminded the graduates of their responsibilities, emphasising \u201cdiscipline, leadership, and respect for human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, some activists sounded a note of caution.<\/p>\n
Dieng Ring Adol of the Center for Peace and Advocacy welcomed the rangers\u2019 graduation but said training alone was not enough to tackle the threat from well-armed poaching groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government should disarm the poachers with immediate effect,\u201d Adol said. \u201cThis will allow the newly graduated officers to carry out their duties effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jonglei state forms a critical part of the Sudd, a massive mosaic of wetlands and savannahs sustained by the White Nile. This immense landscape provides a refuge for iconic African species, including significant populations of elephants, shoebill storks, antelopes like the tiang and reedbuck, and vulnerable Nile lechwe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The area is also a key part of the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of white-eared kob, antelope and other grazing animals, a spectacle that rivals the more famous Serengeti migration but has been largely obscured by the country\u2019s turbulent history.<\/p>\n
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