Memoscar Lasuba, Author at Eye Radio

Sierra Leone president has PhD in coups – first lady

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Fatima Bio, the wife of Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, has said her husband holds a PhD degree in staging coups therefore nobody can overthrow him.

She was referring to the violent protests of 10 August in opposition strongholds which left 31 people killed including six police officers.

The president blamed the protests – which were generally about the high cost of living – on the opposition alleging that they were part of a plot to overthrow him, leading to the dismissal of the top three in the army.

Speaking over the weekend at a fundraising event in the US, Mrs Bio accused unnamed people of wanting to overthrow her husband.

“Maada Bio has a PhD in coup d’état, can you remove him?” she asked rhetorically, before reiterating: “The man has a PhD in [staging] coups, how can you remove someone who teaches people how to stage a coup?,” the first lady said in a video shared on Facebook.

Mrs Bio was making an apparent reference to the fact that her husband first came to power in April 1992 as part of a group of young military officers who overthrew the civilian government of Joseph Saidu Momoh of the All People’s Congress, the party he defeated at the polls in 2018 and whom he accused of being behind the August protests.

The opposition party vehemently denied the allegations.

Many have condemned the statement with some of the moderate elements within her Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) condemning it.

Mrs Bio, a prolific user of Facebook and TikTok, has been known to make controversial comments.

She has not responded to the reactions following her coup comments, nor has anyone at the presidency.

Juvenile court jails young man for defiling teen girl

Posted on September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Juvenile Court in Juba has sentenced a young man to seven years imprisonment for defiling and impregnating a 17- year-old girl.

Despite arguing the unnamed girl consented to the relationship, John Balasso Michael, 20s, was found guilty of impregnating the underage girl.

“John Balasso Michael is sentenced to 7 years imprisonment according to the provision of section 247 of South Sudan 2008 Penal Act effected from today 26of September 2022,” Judge, Andrew Joshua Lado passed the verdict Monday.

Balasso committed the crime in Gudele area, Juba last year.

He was also fined Balasso half a million South Sudanese Pounds in reparation to the victim.

“The convict has to pay 500.000 SSP as reparation and to be paid through civil procedures.”

Balasso, through his lawyer, has up to two weeks to make an appeal on the case.

S.Sudanese plight in Sudan; dozens killed in three months, Juba & Khartoum silent

Posted on September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Nearly fifty South Sudanese refugees were killed in the past three months by gunmen in Sudan’s Western Kordofan State, according to a community leader.

The latest incident occurred over the weekend in which two South Sudanese men and a two-year-old boy were killed on the outskirts of Nohud town, Western Kordufant State.

According to Marco Manyang, an armed group calling itself Hamer Youth Union attacked the camp at Nesor, north of Nohud town on Saturday.

They shot and killed Thiep Garang, Arun Kuat, and toddler Deng Athian.

The armed youth also reportedly made away with sixty livestock belonging to the refugees.

Chief Manyang told Eye Radio that 47 South Sudanese were killed between July and September this year.

“We buried 47 South Sudanese people since July plus the three people of yesterday [Sunday] and there is no official from South Sudan or Sudan to address our issues as the civilians who live in another country,” he said.

Some of the victims were shot upon receiving wages they earned from working on Sudanese farms.

“So, when you go to the farms, you get paid but the owner of the farm will tell his criminals that I have paid South Sudanese, then the criminal will come and attack them, kill them and take their properties.”

Sudan is reportedly hosting 800,000 South Sudanese refugees who are primarily in the Darfur region.

BoSS directs commercial banks to freeze Silcone Valley accounts

Posted on September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

The Bank of South Sudan has directed commercial banks to freeze the accounts of the controversial Company, silicone valley Shares.

In a letter dated 23RD September obtained by Eye Radio, the Central Bank’s the Director of Supervision Department stated that the company is still under investigation on issues related to compliance with South Sudan laws.

The statement reads, “The bank of South Sudan’s [BOSS] top management would like to inform you that, Silicone Valley o.ltd is still under investigation on issues related to compliance with all the laws of South Sudan. Therefore, you are therefore directed to block and freeze the bank accounts of Silicone Valley Co.ltd until further notice.”

The directive signed by Deng Aru Bol comes after some South Sudanese stormed the company’s claiming their shares.

They protested after the company’s juba office ceased its website resulting in the suspension of their investment accounts.

An unspecified number of South Sudanese had deposited different amounts with the company purportedly headquartered in St Francisco, USA in anticipation to make profits.

Some have reportedly deposited up to 100, 000 US dollars.

Mid-this month, police headquarters advised the embattled individual to open a case, saying the online company was legally registered.

Eye Radio repeatedly contacted the country representative of the US-based company Silicone Valley Shares, but never responded to a single call.

Uganda trainee doctors abandoned patients as six exposed to Ebola virus

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Trainee medics battling Ebola in Uganda’s virus epicenter accuse the government of putting their lives at risk.

“Most times you come into contact with a patient and you use your bare hands,” one worker told the BBC anonymously.

All trainees at Mubende’s regional hospital say they are on strike and are demanding to be moved somewhere safer.

But Ugandan health ministry spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona told the BBC there was “no strike at the hospital”.

Yet all 34 of the hospital’s interns – including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses – have announced their decision to strike in a joint statement.

They say they are being put at undue risk because they lack appropriate safety kits, risk allowances, and health insurance.

Six interns at the hospital have already been exposed to the virus, and are awaiting their test results in isolation.

Since the outbreak began earlier this month, official government data shows 36 people are suspected of contracting Ebola, of whom 23 have died.

A 24-year-old-man was the first known Ebola death, and six members of his family also died.

No effective Ebola vaccine is available here yet, because the Sudan strain circulating in central Uganda is different to the Zaire strain that has afflicted West Africa and DR Congo and which can be immunised against.

Peace soldier dies, body stuck at Rajaf training camp

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

A family is appealing for financial support to transport the body of a peace soldier who succumbed to an illness at a training center in Juba.

Edward Hipaingba Rakifi died while battling a hernia at the Rajaf Training center Monday morning.

He was one of the unified forces that graduated in Juba recently.

The late’s body was supposed to be taken to Yambio today but is stuck at the training center today.

This is because the family cannot afford to hire a car ticket or even to transport the body using a boda-boda.

“Here the cost to take the body to Yambio by car is very expensive it’s more than 400.000 to 600,000 ssp, Tadeo Sasa a member of the Azande Community in Juba told Eye Radio.

“We get somebody who is able to take the body with boda-boda at a low cost, but it is still expensive.”

Fears as hundreds cut off amid flash flood in Yirol West County

Posted on September 26, 2022September 27, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Hundreds of Ahier Boma residents have been cut off from basic services after flash floods submerged several villages in the area, the authorities there have said.

Heavy downpours in Yirol West County have reportedly caused the Payil River to overflow, displacing an unspecified number of residents living near its bank.

According to John Beny, the area administrator, many of his residents have sought shelter on the main roads linking the area to Yirol town.

“The main thing is they need shelter, food, and mosquito nets because mosquitoes are causing malaria.”

He added that women and children are suffering from malaria and there are no drugs to treat them.

“Most of the children are suffering now and when they are taken to the [health] facility, they are tested malaria positive, but without drugs.”

Efforts to supply drugs to the affected population have been hampered by inaccessible roads.

“There is no way drugs could come. Even the cars are not moving through Yirol to Rumbek [because it is] full of water.”

Two weeks ago, the government declared flood-affected parts of the country as national disaster areas and appeals to humanitarian organizations and well-wishers to render assistance.

Kapoeta authorities criminalize parents denying children school

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Authorities in Eastern Equatoria’s Kapoeta North County have formulated bylaws to punish parents who fail to enroll their children in schools.

This is in a bit to improve school enrollment in the area this year.

The County Commissioner, Emmanuel Lolimo says, parents who will fail to register a child in school will face a fine of up to 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds and a cow.

While those who will refuse to pay school fees for their children will be made to pay in kind or have a cow taken away forcefully.

Commissioner Lolimo also warns that parents who will remove a child from school with the intention of marrying them off will be sent to jail.

“The community has been charged to cooperate with the authorities, especially in reporting cases of forced marriage. If there is a case of forced marriage, the parent will be imprisoned and the child taken to school.”

“They (the community) participated (in formulating the bylaws) and they are going to sign the bylaws before they come to effect on the 30th of this month (September).

The new rule will come into force at the end of this month once they are signed by community leaders.

“I am only going to be a witness,” the county official said.

Rape survivors languish with trauma, injuries as funding reduced -UN

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

UN rights group says survivors of sexual violence including women gang-raped multiple times in South Sudan, have been left without medical and psychological care as funding has reduced due to the war in Ukraine.

The commissioners of the United Nations Human Rights Commission on South Sudan said they noted with concern the emotional exhaustion of several women who have been raped up to five times after a visit to parts of the country last week.

Established in 2016 to document human rights violations amid renewed fighting in Juba, the UN human rights body has continued to release reports of rights violations, implicating armed groups and the army in the abuse.

Yasmin Sooka, the chairperson of the commission said she and members of the delegation – during a visit to Western Equatoria State – were told survivors of sexual violence were like ‘zombies’, after suffering emotional exhaustion for lack of medical and psychological support after experiencing multiple rapes since 2013.

“Just imagine what it means to be raped by multiple armed men, pick yourself up for the sake of your children, and then for it to happen again and again and again. These women are asking us when it will stop – 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, and now in 2022 – they say they keep telling their stories, and nothing changes,” said Sooka.

In another visit to Unity State last week, the members of the commission noted that access to medical services for survivors of sexual violence have been affected by funding cut. Yet, the demand for the services continues to surge.

In the deep villages where medical services are nonexistent, the commission said, women no longer report multiple violations, in the face of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Meanwhile, Barney Afako, a member of the commission said “it’s going on all the time, largely unseen. It’s only that we cannot document it consistently throughout the country and that the international community’s attention is elsewhere.”

The watchdog body said the absence of a formal court to prosecute serious crimes such as murder and rape, and impunity are largely to blame for the widespread violations.

In its latest report published in March 2022, and titled Conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls in South Sudan, the commission criticized the national army, SSPDF, and opposition group SPLM/A-IO among others for murder, rape, displacement of civilians in parts of the country since the outbreak of the conflict in 2013.
According to the

According to reports, the war which ended in 2018, has killed an estimated 400,000 South Sudanese,

Sudanese gunmen killed three S-Sudanese refugees, injured seven

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Memoscar Lasuba

Three South Sudanese refugees were killed, and seven others wounded by gunmen in Sudan’s Western Kordofan over the weekend.

Marko Mayang, a community chief in Western Kordofan says a group of armed Arab youth attacked a South Sudanese refugee camp in Nesor, north of Nohud town on Saturday.

“Arab gunmen who called themselves Hamer Youth Union attacked the house of Mr. Aping and started shooting people. They killed three people and injured seven,” said Manyang.

The alleged group called Hamer youth union opened fire on the camp killing two men – Thiep Garang, Arun Kuat, and a two-year-old boy, Deng Athian.

The armed youth also reportedly made away with sixty livestock belonging to the refugees.

“That was on Saturday night around 9 PM, and when they were going away, they also entered another house and took over 60 livestock, and robbed people’s properties in their places.”

According to Manyang, the incident was not the first of its Kind.

He said the group had in recent weeks attacked South Sudanese settlement camps resulting in the death of 47 refugees.

“We buried 47 South Sudanese people only this month and in July, plus the three people of yesterday [Saturday] we buried 47.”

He called on the South Sudan government to intervene in the insecurity.

“There is no any official from South Sudan or Sudan to address our issues. As civilians who live in another country we need protection,” Manyange appealed.

Sudan is reportedly hosting 800,000 South Sudanese refugees who are mainly in the Darfur region.

The region has been experiencing a volatile security situation for almost two decades.