The United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has released 14 million US dollars out of 100 million US dollars in funding to 11 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East to boost underfunded humanitarian operations. Continue reading “UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths unveils $14M in funding to S. Sudan”
Author: Memoscar Lasuba
Lawmakers condemn Adidiang attack, call for action
Some members of the national parliament hailing from the Collo community in Upper Nile State condemned last week’s ‘heinous’ killing of civilians in Panyikang County. Continue reading “Lawmakers condemn Adidiang attack, call for action”
National cabinet announces SSP658 billion in new salary scales
The Council of Ministers has announced a sum of 658 billion in a new salary structure for civil servants and constitutional post holders.
Minister Information Michael Makuei revealed this after the regular Council of Ministers meeting on Friday.
The availed budget was tabled by the Minister of Labor Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro during the regular council of ministers on Friday.
This comes after the government set up a technical committee to work on a new proposed salary structure.
Michael Makuei says the 658 billion, 777 million, 578 thousand and 118 South Sudanese pounds will cover all civil servants from one to grade 18, constitutional post holders, lawmakers, and members of organized forces.
“The new salary structure demanded more even than the current salary which was presented to the cabinet and it was demanding a sum of 658,777,578,118 South Sudanese Pounds, this is a big budget and it requires a lot of resources,” he said.
It’s not clear how much increment will be reflected on the current government employee salaries.
But Makuei said the new pay structure will enable civil servants to cover their demands and that of their families.
“The salary structure comes in as a matter of the salaries that I am receiving being unable to buy me [complainers] anything in the market and this is what brings in the new salary structure because the current salaries are not buying anything for us in the market.”
However, he is concerned about the raised budget saying, funding it will remain a big challenge.
Minister Makuei stated that the new salary structure has been sent to the economic cluster headed by Vice President Dr. James Wani to make some adjustments before its approval.
It is not clear whether the plan to increase the civil servants’ salaries has to do with the budget increment.
Government employees, especially soldiers, police, and teachers, have for too long complained about their living conditions as some are reportedly unable to eat a meal a day.
Last year, a nurse and midwife in South Sudan earn between 2,000 and 5,000 South Sudanese pounds per month, while a doctor received 6,840 Pounds a month – an equivalent of $38.
A foot soldier received roughly 1,500 pounds or $3 per month.
This could not pay for their food, housing, transport, and others.
According to experts, South Sudan receives millions of dollars in oil and non-oil revenues monthly.
Despite this, Civil servants and other employees on government payroll often go for nearly 7 months without salaries claiming they did not have enough money.
Financial transparency and accountability campaign groups attribute the situation to corrupt practices among the top leaders, whom they accused of stealing from public coffers.
Child dies from snake bite in Aweil East County
An eight-year-old child has died after getting bitten by a venomous snake in the flood-devastated Aweil East County of Northern Bahr El Ghazal state.
The County Commissioner, Kiir Yor Lual said the toddler identified as Ngor Dut, died over the weekend in Warnyan Village, a part of the county currently inundated by floodwaters.
Yor said the stagnant floodwaters have also displaced the snakes from their habitat to dry areas where people have sought shelter, exposing many to the deadly reptiles.
“These are deaths related to floods, as a result of water-borne diseases or snake bite, I was reported a child that died was as a result of snake bite in the place call Warnyan, and this snake bite is now very common because areas that are flooded are full of snakes,”
Commissioner Yor also said cases of malaria and respiratory infections and other water-borne diseases have surged in recent weeks as floods wreak havoc across the county.
“This is one of the concerns that we are getting every day that malaria cases have shot up as a result of mosquito bites also.”
Cases of snake bites have risen in recent months in areas affected by floods in the Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile regions.
Last week, authorities in Ruweng Administrative Area reported that ten people died from venomous snake bites, while 50 others were hospitalized after floods struck the area.
3 govt schools shut down, 30 near collapse in Mundri East
Three government and community-based schools have closed in Western Equatoria’s Mundri East County with another 30 on the brink, due to a shortage of teachers, according to an education superintendent.
Evans Ibrahim Ramadan, the Education Director for Lui and Lozu Payams, in Mundri East County of Western Equatoria State – said parents had withdrawn their children from 13 out of 30 government schools as teachers deserted teaching due to low pay and poor working conditions.
“We have 30 (public and community) schools in Lui and Lozu Payams which are struggling to operate because of lack of teachers,’ he said in an interview with Eye Radio over the weekend.
“We have another government school called Midiloko Primary School that has collapsed in Lui Payam. We also have a community school called Gangi SDA Primary School that has closed”
The county education official also revealed that two primary schools – Mildiloko and Galanjo SDA – have closed down while Lui Girl’s National Secondary School was nearing collapse after qualified teachers left for greener pastures.
In another government-owned Gwori Primary School – the official said – only a handful of pupils have been admitted to the school this year compared to 200 registered last year.
“A few of them (pupils) that registered this year in Gwori Primary School is 29, according to the statistics from the head teacher of the School, and there are only five teachers who have remained behind to teach these few. In Lui, we have five government schools and in Lozu, we have 8 schools – and in all these schools, we have a problem of a low number of teachers in all the schools,” Ramadan stated.
“And, we have Lui National Secondary School which is coming to collapse because there are no government teachers. Only volunteer teachers are teaching there but what they want is not met, and what they are given is not enough.”
The official said the government plans to recruit more teachers next year.
Kate Crawford becomes new USAID mission director for South Sudan
The United States embassy in Juba has announced the arrival of the new Mission Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development for South Sudan, Kate Crawford.
U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael Adler officiated the swearing-in ceremony for Crawford at the embassy in Juba Thursday.
She will oversee USAID’s operations as the largest donor to the people of South Sudan, with an assistance portfolio that includes humanitarian, health, education and youth, agriculture and food security, peacebuilding, democracy, and good governance activities.
A career USAID Foreign Service officer, Crawford has more than 30 years of experience in humanitarian and development programs and global U.S. government initiatives.
Most recently, Crawford was Director of USAID’s Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in the Bureau for Global Health, where she focused on expanding USAID’s global immunization programming and technical capacity.
She is replacing Haven Cruz-Hubbard, who served as the head of USAID operations in South Sudan for the past two years.
The US government through USAID is the biggest donor of humanitarian and developmental aid in South Sudan.
USAID has provided more than 5.6 billion dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance since the civil war erupted in December 2013 and July 2016 and more than 1.8 billion dollars in development assistance since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
The United States Government has also provided 46.9 million dollars to help South Sudan respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including nearly 38 million dollars through USAID.
Six youths killed in communal fighting in Torit County
At least six people were killed in communal violence in Hiyala Payam of Eastern Equatoria State over the weekends, according to Torit County Commissioner.
Atari Jacob Albano says the clashes between Oguruny and Iloli villagers were triggered by the killing of a farmer belonging to a section of youth groups in the area.
Jima Kuye was attacked while cultivating in his backyard in lloli area.
The incident prompted his colleagues to attack those they believed were responsible for the act, sparking the weekend fighting.
Commissioner Albano is now calling on both sides to restrain from further violence and allow the law to take its course.
“They should not involve or join in the criminal act perpetrated by individuals. They are supposed to allow these individuals to be arrested and brought to book,” he said.
“Secondly, they have to cooperate with the government authorities by apprehending for us the criminals so that we go and arrest them, or tell us these criminals’ whereabouts.”
The incident occurred barely two months after the two sections held a peace dialogue to resolve their differences.
Liz Truss becomes Britain’s third female prime minister
Liz Truss is the new UK prime minister after being appointed by the Queen at Balmoral Castle
She became Britain’s third female prime minister after meeting Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle.
The Queen asked Truss, the 15th premier of her reign, to form a new government after earlier accepting Boris Johnson’s resignation
Johnson bid farewell to No 10 this morning after 1,139 days in office. In an early morning speech from the podium in Downing St he outlined his legacy and called on the Tory Party to unite behind his successor.
He suggested he would slip into political obscurity, although a reference to Roman statesman Cincinnatus fuelled speculation he could consider a future comeback.
Truss will address the nation later this afternoon from Downing Street with the make-up of her cabinet set to emerge shortly after.
Details of her plans to address the energy crisis, the most pressing issue for the new government, are set to become clear as soon as Thursday.
173 civilians Killed, 131 women & girls raped in Unity State in 3 months – UNMISS
The UN mission in the country says more than 170 people were killed and 131 women including girls, were raped between February and May in Unity State. Continue reading “173 civilians Killed, 131 women & girls raped in Unity State in 3 months – UNMISS”
Two army officers arrested for selling fake land tokens
Police have arrested two army officers in Juba for illegally printing and selling fake land tokens to the public, according to Juba County’s press secretary. Continue reading “Two army officers arrested for selling fake land tokens”
