Bor Protestors|Courtesy Photo

Over two hundred people in Bor town of Jonglei State on Monday staged a peaceful protest over delays in civil servants’ salaries and the high cost of living.

The protestors comprised of civil servants, business people, civil society, women and youth groups took the streets of Bor to protest the hardship due to the skyrocketing food prices.

Some of them especially women carried bags of food items on their heads to draw the attention of  the government to some of the basic commodities they are grappling to afford including maize flour.

They called on the government to intervene and address the spiraling inflation and pay the civil servants’ salaries.

“I am protesting today because here in Jonglei we are suffering because of the dollar. There are people who are suffering and they cannot afford to buy goods in dollars.

“We are also suffering because of the delay in the payment of the salaries of civil servants as we have stayed  8 to 9 months without salaries. Women are really suffering,” said Rebecca who works in the state ministry of Education.

“Another civil servant who only identified himself as Alier said; We are protesting because the cost of living is really bad. When you go to the market, 1 bread is sold at SSP 250, four pieces of bread cost 1 thousand, 50 kg of flour is SSP120,000 and  a small jerrican of oil is SSP 25,000 .

“The cost of living is really bad We want the government to intervene and reduce the hike in the market and pay civil servants, it is 8 months now.

Widow Rebbecca John who said she lost her husband during the conflict survives on selling vegetables to feed her children and pay them in school.

“I am a widow; my husband was a solider. I do not work with the government, I sell vegetables in the market to feed and pay school fees for my children .

“ I want my government to address the increase in the prices of food so that I take my daughters to school and tomorrow they will come and help me,” she pleaded.

On his part, Civil Society Activist in Jonglei State Bol Deng said it is the responsibility of the government to address the current inflation and resolve the insecurity that hinders the local population from farming in the country .

“ This is the responsibility of the government, nobody else . It is the role of the government to manage the inflation troubles and the factors that have contributed to the high inflation currently including the insecurity.

“If the insecurity issue is addressed, you will see people moving out from the major towns of Bor, Juba and Wau and go to their villages to farm as well as focus on livestock. They will have no business with dollars or anything,” added activist Deng