Authorities in Abyei have confirmed the killing of Deputy Chief Administrator Noon Deng and five others including two of his bodyguards in a road ambush in Rummamer County on Sunday. Continue reading Abyei Deputy Chief, bodyguards killed in road ambush
Category: National News
National News
Pagan Amum questions motive to abandon Rome mediation role
The leader of Real SPLM, a holdout group is seeking clarification from the government and the community of Sant Egidio on whether the Rome peace process has failed after President Kiir requested his Kenyan counterpart to mediate between the parties.
According to Pagan Amum who spoke on an online South Sudanese-run TV on Saturday, said the Head of State neither consulted with the holdout groups nor the Sant Egidio.
“President Kiir did not consult with the non-signatory force of the peace agreement, not even Sant’Egidio,” said Pagan Amum.
Amun is seeking to know whether the government intends to quit the Rome peace process he said the hold-out groups already signed some documents with the government.
“We want clarification from the government because it is not possible to create two different platforms for negotiation. we want to know, if the government has exited the Rome Initiative, what about the signed documents we signed?
” When we asked Sant’Egidio, they said that they did not know about the new initiative and they had not received notification from the government about exiting the Rome Initiative.
He added that before accepting the Kenyan government to mediate any peace talks, there is a need for the parties to discuss security issues particularly what he said, crimes committed by agents against government critics.
“We must discuss security issues and a group of crimes that were committed by agents of the regime in Kenya. These issues must be discussed before accepting Kenya as an alternative, and after that, we will need to know the issues that must be discussed.
“We are not in a rush. We will wait for the response from the government and the community of Sant Ejido to find out whether the Rome Initiative failed,” he said.
Amun also said the parties will need to discuss with the government plans for the elections it is for.
‘With the government for the elections, we want to know the plans,” he added.
Earlier, while the South Sudan United Front led by the General welcomed the initiative with a call for commitment from the government, the National Salvation Front said it was not read to be mediated by the Kenyan government, citing the country is unsafe.
Besides, NAS said the government and the holder groups differed over agendas of the peace process and not the venue of the talks.
The community of Sant Egidio has yet to comment on the matter.
Yakani appeals to President Kiir to pardon detained govt critics
Civil society activist Edmond Yakani has called on the Head of State to also extend pardons to some arbitrarily detained government critics to reunite with their families.
The advocate is reacting to the pardoning by President Kiir of 20 inmates from government prisons across the country on Friday.
According to Edmond, some government critics have been arbitrarily detained while for some, their whereabouts remain unknown.
He cited the like of Morris Mabor who was kidnapped from Nairobi in February 2023.
Similarly, he said, Peter Ajak Biar, who headed a civil society organization was kidnapped in Juba in October 2023.
Another, according to Yakani is Simon Yang, who was allegedly detained under the directives of the Renk County authorities after he reportedly questioned the commissioner on social media over a lack of transparency.
Meanwhile, Raphael Juma Zakaria was detained in December 2023 in Juba for allegedly challenging the recruitment and deployment of some security personnel.
Speaking to Eye Radio, Edmond Yakani urges President Kiir to intervene for the release of the detainees – something he said will be the head of state’s gift for the detainees and their families.
“We hope the culture of pardoning people should involve pardoning the recently detained young activities namely Mabior Moris Peter Ajak Biar, Simon Yang in Renk, and Raphael Zakaria who stood up and spoke on matters of transparency and accountability in our country.
“We hope that in 2024, they will join their families and society as a gift to the president.”
Eye Radio could not independently verify the detention of Raphael Juma Zakaria and Simon Yang as well as the kidnapping of Morris Mabor from Nairobi, Kenya.
Kiir often uses events such as Christmas, New Year celebrations, and Easter season as well as Muslim Eid and Independent Day celebrations to pardon inmates.
The latest pardoning of inmates is not the first of its kind, but one of several he has done over the years.
In February 2023, President Kiir pardoned seventy-one prisoners including thirty-six on death row inmates and 35 inmates who failed to pay compensations or fines.
US Ambassador thanks IGP for relative security amid festivities
US Ambassador Michael J. Adler has commended the Inspector General of Police for his support in ensuring the security of the embassy facilities and diplomatic privacies during the festive season.
The diplomat made the remarks on the state-run SSBC, TV after meeting with 1st Leutanent General Atem Marol Biar at the Interior Ministry on Saturday.
Ambassador J. Adler said they had a good discussion and he thanked the IGP for his support for the security of the embassy facilities, integrity, and diplomatic Privacy.
“We had a good discussion, I thanked the Inspector General of Police for his support for the security of the embassy facilities, integrity, and ‘diplomatic’ privacies,” he said.
He wished that the coming year may be the year of peace and well-being of the country.
“I express a wish for the coming year, maybe the year of peace and well-being of South Sudan,” he added.
On Saturday, the Minister of Interior urged the public and the international community not to panic amid heavy deployment in the national capital Juba, and parts of the country meant to ensure peaceful New Year Celebrations.
Speaking to reporters after a security meeting, Minister Angelina Teny emphasized the crucial role of organized forces in ensuring maximum security in the city.
While acknowledging the joint operations for the job well done during Christmas, Angelina disclosed an ongoing deployment of forces in the national capital ahead of the celebrations.
However, she alerted the citizens and members of the international community not to panic during the deployment saying it is meant to ensure peaceful celebrations of the New Year.
International community urged to stay calm amid New Year deployment
The Minister of Interior has urged the public and the international community not to panic amid heavy deployment in the national capital Juba and parts of the country meant to ensure peaceful New Year Celebrations.
Speaking to reporters after a security meeting on Saturday morning, Minister Angelina Teny emphasized the crucial role of organized forces in ensuring maximum security in the city.
While acknowledging the joint operations for the job well done during Christmas, Angelina disclosed an ongoing gradual deployment of forces in the national capital ahead of the celebrations.
” What we are going to deploy the deployment this time will be more than what you have seen during Christmas.
However, she alerted the citizens and members of the international community not to panic during the deployment saying it is meant to ensure peaceful celebrations of the New Year.
“We are saying to our citizens and the members of the international community in the country that we are deploying not because of anything but to ensure that we have a peaceful celebration in the new year,” Angelina spoke during the press conference on Saturday in Juba.”
Minister Angelina Teny warned the public against the firing of bullets during the New Year celebrations as she ordered the deployment of organized forces across the country to safeguard the occasion.
“If anybody shoots a gun in the air, it will be our opportunity to apprehend the person who didn’t give his weapon during the search in Juba and the states also.
“Please, if you hide your gun and you don’t hand it over, you will be arrested and held accountable and we will take the gun from you if you are from organized forces. We give you the weapon to protect the people and their properties but not to be shot in the air,” she warned.
Public warned against celebratory gunfire on New Year
The Minister of Interior has warned the public against the firing of bullets during the New Year celebrations as she commenced the deployment of organized forces across the country to safeguard the occasion.
Speaking to reporters after a security meeting this morning, Minister Angelina Teny emphasized the crucial role of organized forces in ensuring maximum security in the city.
While acknowledging the joint operations for the job well done during Christmas, Angelina disclosed an ongoing gradual deployment of forces in the national capital ahead of the celebrations.
” What we are going to deploy the deployment this time will be more than what you have seen during Christmas.
However, she alerted the citizens and members of the international community not to panic during the deployment saying it is meant to ensure peaceful celebrations of the New Year.
“We are saying to our citizens and the members of the international community in the country that we are deploying not because of anything but to ensure that we have a peaceful celebration in the new year,” Angelina spoke during the press conference on Saturday in Juba.”
Meanwhile, Minister Angelina outlaws any shooting into the air during the celebrations.
“If anybody shoots a gun in the air, it will be our opportunity to apprehend the person who didn’t give his weapon during the search in Juba and the states also.
“Please, if you hide your gun and you don’t hand it over, you will be arrested and held accountable and we will take the gun from you if you are from organized forces. We give you the weapon to protect the people and their properties but not to be shot in the air,” she warned.
President Kiir pardons 20 inmates
President Salva Kiir has granted pardons to twenty inmates from government prisons across the country as part of end-of-year celebrations.
The inmates were set free in a Republican decree read on the state-run TV (SSBC) on Friday.
Out of the 20 inmates, six juveniles were set free from Juba Juvenile Reformatory Center and these include Albino Sebit, Yohana Alison, Daniel Deng Ayuol, Yussuf Samson Malis, Joshua Salva Giro, and Harun Spano.
Two are from Juba National Prison and they include Joseph Maniel Maker and Emmanuel John Mogga.
The President pardoned Abdallah Dhieu Monyluak, James Ohisa Malang, Hakim Bol Banak, and Yai Chol Nyok from Malakal Central Prison.
Kiir released two inmates from Western Equatoria’s Yambio Central Prison, namely Apath Wol Apath and Awach Nun Chol.
Three were set free from Rumbek Central Prison and these include Garang Lual Deng, Aken Lual Lual, and Lek Deng William.
The Head of State also pardoned two juveniles from Aweil Central Prison Aweil Juvenile Center, and Torit State Prison who have been identified as Khamis Edward and Simon Ongejuk Philip respectively.
No single female inmate is among the freed convicts.
President Kiir cited Article 101 (q) of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011 in conjunction with section 285 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the release of the inmates.
In February 2023, President Kiir granted a pardon to seventy-one prisoners including thirty-six on death row inmates, and 35 inmates who failed to pay compensations or fines.
President Kiir relieves Youth, Sports Undersecretary Peter Abakar
President Salva Kiir on Thursday relieved Undersecretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Peter Baptish Abakar in a Republican decree read on the state-run TV, SSBC
In a similar decree, the Head of State appointed Debora Akech as the new Undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In another decree, President Kiir appointed Peter Baptish Abakar as a technical advisor in the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
13 babies born on Christmas day at JTH
A midwife at Juba Teaching Hospital says the maternity ward registered the birth of 13 newborn babies on the Christmas day.
Joyce Peace Abuni, a registered midwifery told Eye Radio that babies including twins were born through normal delivery.
According to her, six were delivered in the morning hours of the Christ Mass day and seven others at night.
“There were six babies given birth to on 25th, December 2023 from morning hours till evening, and other six babies were given birth to at night making a total of 13 babies, from 12 mothers. One woman has given birth to twins,” she said.
“Most of the deliveries had no complications except one woman with umbilical cord prolapse who was booked for an operation but thank God, she had safely delivered before being operated on,” she added.
According to Peace, one of the babies whose mother is suffering from umbilical prolapse, developed difficulty in breathing, but the hospital has put it on oxygen.
‘Unfortunately, the baby is not breathing as normal. Therefore, we tried our best and the baby is on oxygen for some health supervision.”
However, the specialized midwifery raised concerns about expectant mothers being brought to the hospital only when they are in critical condition.
Peace is urging pregnant women to regularly attend antenatal care services to avoid such situations.
“We the midwives at the hospital want mothers to carry their children and save their lives as they head home. However, some of the pregnant come to the hospital in critical conditions.
“I am urging pregnant women to come on time so that we attend to them properly. Therefore, my message is having regular anti-natal care services in the hospital is very important,” she appealed.
Govt hands over siblings trafficked into GPAA to Kenyan authorities
The government of South Sudan has officially handed over two siblings who were trafficked to Vertet County of Greater Pibor Area to the Kenyan Embassy in Juba. Continue reading Govt hands over siblings trafficked into GPAA to Kenyan authorities