South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The World Bank Group on Monday announced the appointment of Charles Undeland as the new Country Manager for South Sudan.
Mr. Charles Undeland, the new Country Manager said he will unify country-level leadership across the institution to partner with the country’s public and private sectors to deliver development results for the South Sudanese people.
“I am thrilled to be arriving as the World Bank Group’s Country Manager for South Sudan at this critical time in the country’s history and development journey. Over the next three years, I hope to build on our partnership to deliver results for the people of South Sudan, said Undeland, in a statement issued on Monday.
Undeland promised to increase job opportunities for the private sector, improve human capital as well as strengthening governance and macroeconomic stability.
“In South Sudan, the WBG works to support the country’s journey out of fragility and help it achieve its long-term development aspirations. Unified Bank Group leadership will improve our speed and make us a better partner to the government, the private sector, and ultimately the people we serve,” he said.
South Sudan is one of 21 country offices transitioning to a single WBG Country Manager or Resident Representative.
In South Sudan, the WBG works to support the country’s journey out of fragility and help it achieve its long-term development aspirations.
The WBG’s current engagement includes an active portfolio of $ 1.4 billion in commitments across 14 projects covering different sectors.
Undeland succeeds Firas Raad who recently completed his three-year term as Country Manager for South Sudan and is moving on to lead the World Bank’s program in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Undeland joined the WBG as a Senior Governance Specialist in South Asia in 2009 and brings to his new position, over three decades of experience in international development.
Over the past four years, he served as Senior Operations Officer in the World Bank’s East and Southern Africa region where he covered South Sudan among several countries.
