Khartoum, 15 June 2026 (SUNA) — Minister of Federal Governance and Rural Development Engineer Mohamed Kortikela Salih met in Khartoum with South Kordofan State Wali Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Karim to discuss the security, economic, and basic service situation in the state, with a focus on acute shortages of essential commodities in the greater Dilling and Kadugli areas. The minister reaffirmed his ministry’s strong commitment to addressing challenges facing the states, particularly issues related to local governance and rural development. For his part, the Wali provided a detailed briefing on conditions in the state, stating that life is generally normal due to the efforts of the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). He acknowledged ongoing civilian suffering and casualties, while noting that basic services continue to be delivered despite limited resources. On education, he highlighted the successful conduct of the Sudan School Certificate examinations in the state this year, as well as the printing of primary and intermediate exam papers for two consecutive years. He also pointed to administrative reforms, including the separation of primary and intermediate education directorates and the appointment of dedicated directors for each level.  He said the state is facing a severe shortage of teachers, with women making up 80% of the teaching workforce, adding that approvals have been issued to recruit new teachers and efforts are underway to settle salary arrears in coordination with the federal Ministry of National Education. In the health and services sector, he expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Health for providing three ambulances to Kadugli and Dilling, noting that most residents are covered by health insurance. On electricity, he said solar power has been introduced in most government institutions and water stations, helping stabilize water supply in Kadugli, while some areas of Dilling continue to face shortages due to the war. Economically, he said investment and agricultural activity in Dilling and Kadugli have stalled due to the conflict, while the eastern part of the state remains relatively stable, with agricultural inputs provided for cultivation of between 3 and 3.5 million feddans. He also highlighted urgent needs for road maintenance equipment to rehabilitate the strategic dirt road linking Dilling, Habila, and Al-Rahad, a key route connecting Kordofan with Al-Obeid and Khartoum. On mobilization efforts, he said popular resistance and emergency committees have been formed across most localities, except Al-Goz due to the presence of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). At the conclusion of the meeting, the Federal Governance Minister called for the expedited submission of the state’s emergency five-year plan to be presented to the Prime Minister and TSC Member General Shams-Eddin Kabbashi. He also directed a series of urgent follow-up meetings with federal ministries, including Education, Health, Human Resources Development, Agriculture, Finance, as well as security briefings with the General Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Yasser Al-Atta, and the National Mobilization and Popular Resistance Committee. He further instructed coordination meetings with the Ministry of Information, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council to support the state and address its pressing challenges.BH/BH