Sudan is descending into death and destruction at an unprecedented speed, UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday as he urged donors to step in and curb the unfolding catastrophe. Continue reading Sudan spiralling into destruction, says UN chief
Category: Humanitarian
Returnees in dire need of aid in Abyei – Official
Hundreds of returnees are in dire need of humanitarian assistance after fleeing the conflict in Sudan with bare hands, the spokesperson of the Abyei Administrative Area has said. Continue reading Returnees in dire need of aid in Abyei – Official
Malakal PoC chiefs recommend state govt takes over camp site
Representatives of the Communities at the Malakal UN Protection of Site have suggested the camp be handed over to the Upper Nile State government to provide security to the displaced, according to the State Minister of Information, Luk Saadallah.
He told Eye Radio that the representatives met meet with the Vice president at the state general secretariat on Saturday and presented their complaints over the situation at the PoC.
“They complained that the PoC where the civilians have been protected should be handed over to the government, and humanitarian assistance to be carried out by the aid actors,” the state official said.
The local leaders attributed the violence to delinquencies among the youth
“The young people who grew up at the PoC are not listening to them (chiefs), so Chief Adam who represented the Shuluk community said it clearly that the youth will not listen to them,” and they suggested that ” the PoC must be handover to the government.”
However, Eye Radio could not independently obtain the outcome of the meeting.
Their call came after the state government called on UNMISS to hand over jurisdiction of the camp to the state police on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga who visit the camp last week announced his government’s plans to carry out disarmament of the civil population in Malakal town of Upper Nile State and other parts of the country
The Chairperson for the Economic Cluster said disarming the five communities in the state capital will to promote a peaceful co-existence in the area.
“I am sure that it is the solution for peaceful coexistence and to the conflict in the state,” he said.
However, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan cautioned the internally displaced persons at the Malakal Protection of Civilians Site against smuggling firearms into the camp after the deadly violence on Thursday.
UNMISS said it did not encourage the communities to separate.
This followed the deadly inter-communal fighting, that killed at least 20 people recently.
IOM commends South Sudan for opening doors to foreigners
The United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator has described South Sudan as a good model in the region by allowing foreigners to enter the country freely. Continue reading IOM commends South Sudan for opening doors to foreigners
Returnees urge govt to evacuate South Sudanese from Sudan
Some of the civilians airlifted from Renk in Upper Nile State to Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, are appealing to the national government to repatriate South Sudanese nationals trapped in Sudan. Continue reading Returnees urge govt to evacuate South Sudanese from Sudan
NBGs to transport 16,000 citizens stranded in northern Upper Nile
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State government said it is facilitating the transportation of at least 16,400 people stranded in the Upper Nile towns of Renk and Paloch amid a dire situation in the rainy season. Continue reading NBGs to transport 16,000 citizens stranded in northern Upper Nile
Sudan conflict: More than 100,000 people crossed into S.Sudan
The UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says a total of 101 thousand 415 individuals have so far crossed the border into South Sudan since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan on April 15.
OHCA says the significant majority of those crossing the border are South Sudanese returnees, while the remaining individuals are refugees and third-country nationals.
Most people have arrived in Upper Nile State, and others in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Unity State, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, and the Abyei Administrative Area.
It says a substantial proportion of the arrivals from Sudan are women and children.
OCHA added that humanitarian partners in South Sudan are scaling up their presence in key response areas and preparing an emergency response to address the needs of the most vulnerable people.
Upper Nile authorities impose night curfew in Malakal
Authorities in Upper Nile have imposed a three-day dusk-to-Dawn curfew in Malakal town following the inter-communal violence on Thursday morning at the UN Protection for Civilians Site.
According to governor James Odhok, the fighting was triggered by a revenge killing.
He says , a group from one of the communities stabbed to death another to avenge a member who was killed on Wednesday night, resulting in the deadly violence.
Odhok says one community was forced to flee the fighting that escalated in the use of firearms.
” We as a government, were outside and there were gunshot exchanges between the tribes inside the UNMISS and the Nuer tribe left the POC and came outside,” he said.
Odhok said that some of the displaced fled to Malakal town while others were taken to a Ghanaian and Bangladesh-UN base.
The governor, UNMISS was compiling data of causalities from the deadly clashes but the peace mission’s initial report put the death toll at 3 with more then twenty injured.
In the meantime, Odhok said: “We as the state government announced curfew for 72 hours from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.”
Scores killed, dozens injured in Malakal inter-communal clashes
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says at least three people have been killed and more than twenty injured in inter-communal fighting this morning at the Protection of Civilians (PoC) Site in Malakal.
In a statement to Eye Radio newsroom, UNMISS said the violence flared up in the early hours of Thursday morning, following a stabbing incident.
“Initial reports indicate that at least 3 persons have been killed (as of Thursday early afternoon) and more than 20 injured, with some of them receiving treatment at the Mission’s hospital,” the statement partially read.
The peace-keeping mission said it regretted the loss of lives and injuries to civilians and calls for an immediate halt to the fighting.
This is “so that the United Nations can continue to protect vulnerable families and de-escalate tensions.”
The Mission said it is also engaging with leaders of the various communities in the PoC site, as well as the state government. to restore calm and order.
It urgently calls on the fighting communities to immediately cease any violence and use dialogue to address any grievances.
Meanwhile, the Embassies of Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States have expressed deep concern over reports of the fighting at the Protection of Civilians (POC) site in Malakal, Upper Nile State.
“We are saddened by reports of casualties, including both deaths and injuries.”
The embassies called for calm and restraint and urged all those in a position to influence the communities involved to take all appropriate steps to end the violence.
How pioneer of Torit Catholic Church groomed youth in diaspora
Hundreds of former seminarians and beneficiaries of the Torit Catholic Diocese In Eastern Equatoria State on Saturday gathered to thank the church and its founder Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban for the support they received while in displaced and refugee camps following the Sudanese war.
The event followed two-month fund-raising activities.
Some of them are currently politicians and workers in various Non-Governmental Organizations and Government institutions.
Others have established themselves as enterprises and learning institutions.
The Catholic Diocese had played an instrumental role in sponsoring thousands of students of then-Southerners in neighboring Uganda and Kenya.
Dozens of them this weekend traveled to the Eastern Equatoria capital, Torit, and joined the payer event.
“This arrangement is an initiative that has been brought up by former seminarians of the Catholic Diocese of Torit and the beneficiaries who are sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Torit in different schools,” said Francis Asam who was the event organizing committee chairperson.
“We sat together and said, if today we are successful in life serving the country in various capacities, is because of the foundation that we got from the Catholic Diocese of Torit, either in the seminary or in the various schools that the Catholic Diocese of Torit supported us in,” added Asam.
according to Mr Asam the diocese invested in their education and produced resourceful people who are apparently contributing in building the country.
Another ex-seminarian, Loboi Maurice, a citizen of the state, would be making 7 years in the priesthood this year if he had proceeded with the call.
“All of us who went to the seminary with the intention to become priests. But most of us dropped on the way, however, leaving the seminary does not mean you are a sinner, you can still serve God in many ways,
Nonetheless, he said “The rest of us got into various ways and now they are serving in different institutions with the government and NGOs,”
Lujang John who hails from Terekeka County of Central Equatoria recently attained a doctorate from an Asian country.
A former seminarian of the diocese John said “I wanted to use my Ph.D. to inspire others that if an orphan can reach up to the Ph.D. level, what about you the son of the governor, the minister, and the rich people,
He went on to say “One of the persons who did not attend is Bishop Emeritus, I recognize his efforts and also thought that we need to come to Torit, not going to Jonglei.
Dr. John, a former child soldier of the SPLA further said “My Ph.D. is like interstate because the commanders who released me to go to the seminary belong to Bor.’
For his part, Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore recognized the immense role the Catholic Church played in supporting South Sudanese during the liberation struggle.
“The diocese of Torit has contributed a lot in human resources, building human capacities,
“It also provided physical infrastructure, schools, health facilities, and even roads. It also provided services for the people of this country and particularly people of this State,
“It also contributed during the struggle for the freedom of our people of South Sudan.,
“The Diocese of Torit was the one doing most of the services to the people while the SPLM/SPLA was fighting and was also supporting the forces,
“If it is today I am a governor before they said I am a long serving governor, it is because of the spirit, it is because of the discipline that I got from the Church,” he said
Due to the civil war from 1984 to 2005, the diocese operated from Nairobi, and after the signing of the peace agreement, the diocese opened in Torit.
Torit Catholic Diocese serves 15 parishes, 36 Eucharistic Centers, and 240 other stations not regularly visited by priests, but by lay leaders and catechists.
The Diocese was first served by Bishop Paride Taban from July 1983 – to 2004.
He was succeeded by the late Bishop Akio Johnson Mutek who served between 2007 and 2013 when he passed on.
Bishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla was later appointed in as the Bishop of Torit before becoming the Archbishop of Juba.
At present Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta is currently the Bisbishop of Torit after his appointment on November 8, 2022.