Scene of violence between police and wounded soldiers. (-)

At least 17 people were injured, four of whom are in critical condition, following clashes between police officers and wounded war veterans protesting at the ministry’s premises on Wednesday, police confirmed.

National Police Spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin stated that three of the critically wounded are police personnel, with seven other officers sustaining minor injuries.

“The clashes have resulted in several injuries, and the police managed to control the situation. On our side as the police, we have three critical injuries and seven with minor injuries,” Justin said.

One of the wounded heroes is in critical condition, with six of them sustaining minor injuries. The injuries include broken ribs, teeth, limbs, and head damages.

General Justin said the injured police and wounded soldiers uses stones, sticks, and machetes during the fight.

He added that those injured are currently undergoing treatment.

According to General Justin, the police have arrested four of the wounded heroes involved in the clashes.

The security official said police have opened a case against the detained veterans, adding that they are currently under investigation.

“Following the clashes, we controlled the situation and arrested four of them; they are undergoing investigations, and we have opened cases against them.”

General Justin warned that the wounded soldiers are planning to demonstrate again. He stated that the police have intensified their presence around the ministries’ complex to prevent any further escalations.

“The situation is calm at the Ministry of Finance. We have reinforced deployment because, today, they are planning and attempting to come again, but we are monitoring the situation.”

On Wednesday, Information Minister Michael Makuei, whose office is adjacent to the finance ministry premises, confirmed police fired into the air to disperse the group of wounded soldiers demanding their dues.

The war-wounded heroes, a group of physically challenged former combatants, stormed the Ministry of Finance premises several times, demanding the expeditious payment of their medical allowances.

In March 2023, scores of the former combatants closed ranks and charged at the finance ministry headquarters in Juba to demand their 10 million dollars of medical allowances.

Agok Makur Kur, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, said it was not the first time that the soldiers have stormed the finance ministry to call for the release of their dues.

This prompted the ministers of defense and finance to meet in November 2023 and agree to pay the medical allowances of the disabled veterans.

Defense Minister Chol Thon Balok then directed his former comrades to channel their grievances to his ministry and not toward the finance ministry.

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol claimed that his institution has since paid three million US dollars to the Ministry of Defense to cater for medical needs of the veterans.

Dr. Bak, who described the former soldiers as “self-proclaimed wounded heroes”, said the payments in December 2023, and January 2024 were made from the resources of the ministry.

In a statement broadcasted on state-owned SSBC, Finance Minister Dr Barnaba Bak Chol expressed the ministry’s commitment to pay salaries of government employees on time.

“The message I want to communicate to public and the wounded heroes is that the Ministry of Finance and Planning is committed to fulfilling its reform agenda, proving essential goods and to continuing to pay salaries,” Bak said.

“The reform agenda on the elimination of ghost names is ongoing but that will not prevent paying salaries on time.”