Local authorities and community representatives said the company has allegedly failed to fulfill key commitments promised to the community while expanding operations into areas believed to contain valuable minerals and timber resources.

By Emmanuel Mandella

Tensions are high in Gangura Payam of Yambio County after community leaders accused Anisa Trading Company of illegally encroaching on local forest areas and exploiting natural resources without honoring development agreements made with residents.

Local authorities and community representatives said the company has allegedly failed to fulfill key commitments promised to the community while expanding operations into areas believed to contain valuable minerals and timber resources.

Speaking to the media, Gangura Payam Chief Gaaniko Daniel Elia said the dispute dates back nearly two years, when Anisa Trading Company entered the area following an agreement with community stakeholders and elders.

According to the chief, the company pledged to undertake several development projects in exchange for operating within the Payam. The commitments ranged from constructing a school, building a police station, and opening access roads to improve connectivity within the community.

“We agreed as a community to allow the company to operate because they promised development. They committed themselves to constructing a school, a police station, and opening roads for our people. But now it has been more than two years and none of those agreements have been implemented,” Elia said.

He said community leaders became alarmed after meeting the company’s Chief Executive Officer in Yambio, where they were informed that Anisa Trading Company intended to conduct assessments for gold and other minerals.

“Our surprise came when we were told in Yambio that the company was assessing minerals. Later, they came to Gangura, saying they would bring machines for work. We waited, but instead we discovered that they had already entered the bush and started activities without any proper agreement with us as the elders,” he explained.

Chief Elia accused the company of moving into forest areas without community consent, prompting local leaders to seek urgent intervention from county authorities.

“We are warning that we do not want anyone interfering with our resources without proper agreement. If you want to work on our land, there must be something tangible that our children will see tomorrow and know that our resources benefited us,” he said.

Gangura Payam, located near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Ibba and Nzara counties, is known for its forest resources and suspected mineral deposits. Community leaders now fear that uncontrolled exploitation is rapidly depleting timber and other natural resources.

“Timber and other minerals are finishing because of illegal entry,” the chief alleged.

He further accused local authorities of failing to enforce earlier agreements with timber dealers, claiming the Payam was promised a monthly payment of $500 as community benefit money he says has never been received.

“We have never received even five dollars or one dollar from that agreement,” he said.

The dispute escalated after Gangura area Member of Parliament Bage Biko issued an open letter to the Western Equatoria State government, raising what he described as serious concerns over the company’s conduct.

In the letter, the lawmaker stated that Anisa Company entered into a contractual agreement with the Council of Elders three years ago but had failed to fulfill any of its development obligations.

“The people of Gangura have not witnessed any meaningful development or benefit from the company’s operations,” Biko wrote.

He further alleged that the company is now extracting additional resources without notifying or obtaining consent from the local community, actions he said undermine trust and violate the spirit of partnership.

Following consultations with residents and community leaders, the MP said the community had resolved that the company’s operations should be suspended immediately pending a full review.

The community is demanding that authorities ensure a comprehensive review of the existing contract, full disclosure of the company’s activities over the past three years, implementation of all outstanding development commitments, and transparent future operations conducted with community approval.

“We strongly believe in development; however, development must benefit the local people whose resources are being utilized. If our resources are being taken without visible progress in our community, then such activities cannot continue,” Biko stated.

He urged the state government to urgently investigate the matter and ensure accountability.

“Gangura deserves development, not exploitation,” the letter concluded.

Community leaders say tensions could escalate if authorities fail to act quickly, warning that residents feel increasingly sidelined in decisions concerning their land and resources.

Local elders maintain that they are not opposed to investment or development projects but insist that agreements must be respected and communities must directly benefit from resource extraction activities.

County officials have yet to publicly respond to the accusations, while several attempts by journalists to obtain comment from Anisa Trading Company were futile by press time.

The dispute highlights broader challenges facing resource-rich communities across Western Equatoria State, where investment projects often collide with concerns over transparency, environmental protection, and equitable sharing of benefits.

For the people of Gangura, however, the demand remains clear.

“We want development,” Chief Elia said. “But it must be development that our people can see and benefit from not exploitation of our resources without accountability.”

Utilities

“We are warning that we do not want anyone interfering with our resources without proper agreement. If you want to work on our land, there must be something tangible that our children will see tomorrow and know that our resources benefited us,” said Gangura Payam Chief, Gaaniko Daniel Elia.