The national legislature has clarified media reports on the role of a committee formed to come up with a standard dress code for top officials of the upper and lower houses.
Continue reading “Parliament clarifies “confusion” over speaker’s dress code”
Month: April 2022
EAC countries including SSD to experience hefty rainfall in May
The IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center has foretasted heavy to very heavy rainfall over five East African countries including South Sudan in the coming weeks.
The ICPAC predicts that South Sudan, Somalia, Southern Ethiopia, Burundi and north-western Tanzania will receive more than normal rainfall around 100 millimeters.
In contrast, less than normal rainfall is also expected over eastern parts of Kenya.
Warmer than normal temperature will also be recorded in most parts of East Africa except for South Sudan, northern Uganda and Western Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, dry and hot conditions of over 32 degree Celsius are expected over much of Sudan, Eriteria, northern Ethiopia, and Djibouti which might receive only 1 millimeters of rainfall – an equivalent of 1 litre per square meter.
The regional climate information center also indicates that cold conditions of less than 20 degrees Celsius are expected over Rwanda, Burundi, central Ethiopia, Kenya, south-western Tanzania as well as South Sudan.
Transport Ministry launches issuance of car-lifetime logbooks
The Minister of Transport is encouraging owners of all vehicles and motorcycles to register with the newly established digital logbook registration system.
On Thursday, the ministry announced the official launch of a digitized logbooks and plate numbers system for vehicles and motorcycles.
Minister Madut Biar disclosed that the new degital logbooks are not subjected to renewal like the current ones.
“The logbooks are printed once until the life of the car ends. So there is no renewal unless it is damaged. That’s also good news for vehicle users and motorcycle users to be happy for this information,” he said.
He however underscored that motorists will be required to have their vehicles and motorcycles inspected once in a year.
“There is going to be inspection of vehicles that will be done annually and this is where only the car owners would be required to respect the time so that when the ministry and particularly the directorate of transport and road safety request any vehicle owner. You should respect and come so that your vehicles and motorcycles are inspected and put back to the road. The objective is actually to make our road users to use standard vehicles so that we don’t fall into some accidents,” he explained.
Biar also specified that a subsidiary company of the ministry known as the Digital Registry Company will carry out the task in collaboration with the Directorate of Transport and Road Safety.
The company, he said will now operate officially with the government to print necessary documents for car registration and log books.
“The minister of transport has been actually been working tirelessly with the company to see into it that this day is an important day for the opening of this company to operate officially to print all the necessary documents for cars registration and logbooks,” Biar said.
Motorists are now required to register with the ministry by resubmitting their current logbooks in order to obtain a digitized ones.
“Anything that has been going on, now it is actually going to be digitized and we are going to have a central system of data, so I am encouraging the car users being a private, government or NGOs, to come to this facility so that they are register officially and data is kept,” he said.
The new system is now declared open and the company will start issuing the digitized non-renewable logbooks, the minister said.
“We are ready since you have seen them here. Anybody that will even start from tomorrow, if you bring your new car, they will start processing all these documents.”
So we are ready as of today, and if they are already here, they will just be put into the digital system, and then now you will be required to get a digitized logbook,” he added.
It is not clear if the digitized logbook system will stop harassment and extortion allegations on road users by some traffic officers.
In January this year, the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with Juba City Council and a private company launched a digitized traffic system including installation of signage to regulate traffic flow in the City.
The project was said to include installation of street CCTV cameras, digitized registration of car logbooks to monitor and track traffic motorists.
The chilling tales of Juba street kidnappings
Juba City is yet again rocked by worrisome stories of indiscriminate kidnappings by mysterious criminals driving mini- passenger buses or suspicious security vehicles in the streets.
Almost everyone in the city has either heard of someone that was kidnapped or at least such stories.
On Wednesday, 22-year-old Evans Peter and two other friends were happily chatting as they were returning home from watching a football match at Buluk Training Center.
A few minutes later, they were kidnapped in broad daylight by men on a Toyota land cruiser between the national parliament and Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.
“As we were coming around Dr. John Garang opposite the JICA place for construction of water – we were like three of us walking. so, this land cruiser came and stopped by and they told us to stop that, there was these crackdown of niggas and they told us there were ‘nigga’s from around the area of Buluk and so they picked us all,” Peter narated.
Peter said the kidnappers had introduced themselves as security forces involved in the recent crackdown of Juba city Council in the city.
“So we did not hesitate, we went inside and they took us by force and told us to get down. So, we entered and they told us to put our heads down and we thought they would take us to a nearby police station or something like that.”
Peter and his friends were aware of the new reality when they ended up being driven around the city for hours.
But later on, he said, “we found four more boys in the kidnappers’ hideout.’
According to him, the boys spent a hopeless night. However, he managed to escape from the kidnappers while they were refilling their car in Khor Romla.
He was later found in the Khor Romla area East of Juba.
However, the four boys were released since they spoke a similar language as the criminal kidnappers.
Evans Peter’s uncle confirmed the kidnapping incident to Eye Radio saying “those boys are seven, but my son was arrested with some two and they found other four already there, so those four boys were released on the same day because they speak one languagee.”
Manas Nigo called on families to be cautious with their sons and daughters whenever they are stepping out from home.
“If there is anybody or families who are listening to this story outside there, because a lot of people are listening to Eye Radio, let’s be cautious and try to help our children and people to move randomly.”
“What saved this boy is not our power, but as a plan of God. But our concept is that there is a government that is helping us with our properties, I think I am sorry for that and sorry to say it.”
In March this year, Eye Radio’s former editor, Woja Emmanuel was kidnapped, drugged, tortured, and dumped in the Lologo area on the outskirt of Juba.
Woja was picked up a few meters away from Eye Radio’s premises at around 9 am by people driving a tinted white Harrier car.
He later escaped at around 8 pm when the kidnappers dumped him around Rajaf west.
Residents of Juba have been complaining of mysterious criminals kidnapping people along the streets.
The incidents are allegedly carried out by men who pretended to be public vehicle drivers.
According to testimonies from survivors and their families, the kidnappers drive tinted cars along the streets looking for a potential hostage.
The taxis often carry a few men who pretend to be passengers, leaving only two seats vacant.
Also, a teenage boy was kidnapped along Custom-Malakia Road and was found unconscious six hours later in a suburb near Nesitu.
Governor Adil orders plot owners to build or lose ownership.
The governor of Central Equatoria State has given landowners a year’s ultimatum to build their unused plots or lose the ownership.
Emmanuel Adil Anthony said the state government has discovered that some individuals have acquired more than 10 plots that are not developed in the suburbs of Juba City and other towns of the state.
Speaking at the state secretariat in Juba yesterday, Adil asserted that any piece of land that is not built is bound to attract potential land grabbers.
“We discovered one person may have ten or fifteen plots. We encourage the land owners to develop plots allotted to them and any piece of plot that is not developed, is subject to temptation, you don’t develop it within half a year, we give you a warning,” Governor Adil said.
He told land owners to occupy their plots to reduce the temptation of land grabbing.
“My leadership is encouraging land owners to embark on building estates, flats with the correct requirements and specifications,” he said.
Several residential areas in Juba city have seen increasing cases of land grabbing that have resulted in violence and insecurities in recent months.
On Tuesday, residents of Jondoru, Kor-Wolliang and Kasire in Juba engaged in brief clashes with land grabbers, injuring at least two people.
The suburban settlers appealed to the state authorities to immediately deploy organized forces to de-escalate the tension.
Governor Emmanuel Adil however said the measures will address the issue of land grabbing.
He also said failure to honor the one year ultimatum will lead to the confiscation of some plots by the government.
“If one year closes according to the land policy, we will withdraw that piece of plot from you. This is the decision we have taken.”
He warned that anyone who settled illegally on already demarcated land will be forcefully evicted.
Adil also disclosed his government’s plans to digitize land parcels as a measure to curb conflicts related to land.
The recurrent land related conflicts are attributed to the rapidly growing population in the city.
Authorities also believe the high value for land in Juba has resulted in illicit practices of land from powerless rightful owners.
Butchers Union threatens to strike over land, taxation concerns
The South Sudan Butchers Union has threatened to lay down tools in strike over what it describes as unfair treatment by the authorities.
The leader of the union says butchers in Juba have suffered high taxation by different institutions including Juba City Council for using their facilities.
Bol Dut Lula said the group which supplies beef in the city, continues to operate at a loss due to hefty taxes and fees being collected from them.
“We can no longer continue to work, we no longer have money, we are working at a loss, so the butchers think as this situation continues, the butchers say they prefer to stop the slaughter in the city of Juba,” he told Eye Radio yesterday.
Mr. Dut, who spoke on behalf of the union, said several petitions handed to the government in an attempt to have the issue resolved have fallen on deaf ears.
The union now demands that land be allocated to them in order to set up an auction yard and a modern slaughterhouse.
“The government collects health fees as well as the city council from cattle slaughter. We need a place to be used as an auction yard and to build modern cattle slaughter.”
We, as officials, are calling on the government to provide a place to be used as an auction yard. If the government does not provide the place, it means that the butchers will stop working,” he said.
Responding to the matter, the Mayor of Juba said there is no space for a slaughter house in the city.
“In Juba city there is no space for a slaughterhouse, we had one near the stadium, but when I came to office, we found that the place was leased to someone else,” Allah Jabu said.
“During the time of Mayor Christopher Wani, he constructed one slaughterhouse in Jebel, we want to visit it to establish if it still exists or leased to someone else also.
Mayor Allah-Jabu however said the Council met yesterday, and that they will do their part to resolve the matter.
“We met yesterday to find a solution for this problem of butchers, if we find a space near the river, we will tell them, even for the auction yard. We will do our part as the City Council,” he assured.
Michael Ladu Allah Jabu is appealing to the butchers to not lay down their tools as the matter is being addressed.
I’m receiving their complaints for the first time as a mayor. I urge the butchers not to lay down their tools, because we as a government are in need of them and they need us also because they are serving all of us.”
Traders in Juba have often complained of multiple taxation by government agencies, most of whom are unauthorized.
Bor S4 girl misses last papers as brothers dragged her from exams hall
A 20-year-old female senior four candidate was forced to leave examination room by her step-brother in Bor town of Jonglei State who allegedly wanted to marry her off. Continue reading “Bor S4 girl misses last papers as brothers dragged her from exams hall”
South Sudan on path of achieving total peace, President Kiir
President Salva Kiir has called for more efforts from the peace parties in order to safeguard the 2018 peace deal.
He made the remarks Wednesday at the State House, J1 where he hosted the Muslims community for an IFTAR Breakfast celebrations.
The occasion was attended by top government officials including First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, among many others.
According to Kiir, the country is moving in the right direction and there is a need to maintain it.
“Thanks God we are on the way to total peace in our country and we must thank all our friends who have been standing with us working for peace. Let us keep the direction so that we don’t lose the direction and return to war. Let’s safeguard the peace,” he said.
President said the five-year conflict destroyed the country, forcing those who wanted to help South Sudan withdraw their support.
“We have spoiled our country and we must go back to our senses so that there is no war between neighbor, among tribes or states.”
But since the parties have stopped the war, Kiir said, he is hopeful the donors and investors will come back into South Sudan.
“When we fell into war among us, all the promises made to us and things that were supposed to be delivered stopped. Because they say, if they give us the money, it means they have thrown it into the ocean.”
‘“Now that we have stopped fighting among ourselves, these people will come,” the head of state concluded.
With just a year left to the end of the transitional period, the peace parties are yet trading accusations over the slow implementation of the peace agreement.
They are yet to implement key provisions of the peace deal including the graduation of the unified forces which the international community and observers view as a determinant to stability of the country.
“We can’t stay in cantonments for 4 years, we have families”, lament tired peace soldiers
Peace soldiers at Mapel training center in Western Bahr el Ghazal state are appealing to be sent home to cater for their families as they wait to be graduated since the process is taking long.
The trainees who have been stationed at the center since 2019 now say they are tired of the government’s promises to graduate them.
Some of them who voiced their frustrations on Eye Radio said they are also in dire need of food and clean drinking water.
One of the trainees who chose to be named only as Garang said the situation is becoming unbearable with the coming of the rainy season.
“We have completed the training a long time ago, we are ready for graduation, we are in the rainy season, our children are tired at home and we are tired at the training center,” Garang protested.
“I’m a soldier and I have to endure the situation but it should not be to this level, it should not be hunger, no food, no money for my family and no graduation, this is too much. You can come and see this situation by yourself, there is no food here at all,” he said.
Thousands of peace soldiers stationed at various cantonment sites across the country have on several occasions said the peace parties in Juba have forsaken them.
The government also made failed pledges to graduate the forces, but factors such as insufficient funding, lack of political will among the peace parties as well as allegations of many ranks in the opposition forces are said to be complicating the efforts.
Dozens of trainees are reported to have died of starvation and sickness in cantonment and training sites as they awaited the seemingly illusive graduation into the new national army.
Another soldier, William is also among peace forces stationed at Mapel Center since 2019.
He said the trainees have resorted to petty businesses like cutting woods for sale in order to cater for their families.
Speaking to Eye Radio, he reiterated his appeal to the government to graduate them as they are now approaching the fourth year at the center.
“We just want the government to graduate us so that we can go back to our children. We cannot stay here for nearly four years, the government is unable to do the graduation, we don’t understand why?
There are some comrades here who go out for a seven-hour walk to cut the trees and take some woods up to Tonj, they sell and get a few pounds to buy flour and come back to the center to survive, this is how we are living here,” he said.
Recently, the peace parties unified the command structure to pave way for the graduation of the unified forces.
However, the much anticipated graduation day has not been announced yet.
Chapter two of the revitalized peace agreement requires the cantonning, screening, and training of 83,000 Necessary Unified Forces to safeguard the peace deal.
According to the peace deal, unifying the forces will provide security guarantees for the transitional government of national unity, unlike in 2016 when the forces were divided.
Immigration officer netted escaping with ‘boss” money amounting $18,000
An officer at the department of Nationality, Passport and Immigration has been arrested trying to exit the country with 16,000 USD and 1 million pounds over the weekend, says Airport official.
Colonel Manguen Dut who is the Deputy Director of Passport and Immigration at Juba International Airport, said the unnamed officer being held in custody is a sergeant in the finance section of the Immigration Department.
“ Yes, the person who has been arrested is a police officer belonging to the passport division, but the money is less than that is $16,000, he was arrested and now is under the responsibility of police professional standards,” he confirmed to Eye Radio.
Dut told Eye Radio the suspect, who is a police sergeant, is under investigation by the professional standard.
He said the officer was reportedly sent by the office of the Nationality, Passport and Immigration Department to go and withdraw the money.
“He withdrew it from the bank and he did not come back to the office,” Manguen said.
After withdrawing the cash, the officer allegedly changed his mind and switch off his phone.
He then rushed to the airport in a desperate heist to Nairobi- Kenya before he was intercepted and arrested by the airport security.
Dut however, clarified that the money is $16,000 plus 1 million SSP, and not $52,000 as circulated on social media.
“When he was arrested on Sunday and at this moment I can remember that there was $ 16,000 and one million SSP and if converted to USD it can reach $2,000 and $16,000 and it can reach $18,000, but is not in that amount that you got or is circulating on social media.”
Last year, the UN’s Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan reported that a “staggering” amount of money and other wealth had been diverted from the public coffers and resources.
The UN Agency’s chair Yasmin Sooka said the UN documented the stealing of more than $73m through corruption, embezzlement, bribery and misappropriation of state funds by political elites since 2018.
