Category: National News

National News

Ex-Lakes Governor Matur Chut dies, aged 70

The former Governor of Lakes State General Matur Chut Dhuol has died in a hospital in Juba following a long sickness.

The late elder brother confirmed his demise to Eye Radio this morning.

Makuei Chut Dhuol said the freedom fighter and SPLA commander who joined the movement the early days of the liberation struggle, succumbed to illness related to high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney and heart complications.

Late General Chut died at about 70.

” He was born in 1954. CurrentlY,  I am in Rumbek to prepare the burial, and they will bring the body here in Rumbek. We have just concluded a meeting with the Lakes State governor and he committed himself to take care of the burial and funeral.

Bereaved Makuei said the late bother is survived with several sons and daughters.

“My late brother Matur Chut had several children, he was sick for a number of years because of the sickness of heart, diabetes, blood pressure and kidney issues,” he said.

Matur Chut served as Care taker governor of Lakes state from 2013 before being appointed as governor of defunct Western Lakes State in 2017.

He was relieved in Presidential decree in 2019.

 

President Ruto accepts Kiir’s plea to mediate peace talks

Kenyan President William Ruto has confirmed his acceptance to mediate peace talks between South Sudan government and the hold out groups.

Ruto said he accepted to request on December 25, 2023.

“I accepted the request of my brother President Kiir to host and conclude the remaining phase of the peace talks that have been going on between the Government of South Sudan and hold-out opposition parties in Rome, Italy, under the auspices of the Community of Sant’Egidio.”

In a post on his official Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, the Kenyan Head of State said he had a phone conversation with President Salva Kiir.

Ruto said he explained to President Kiir on the steps his government has taken to realise this imperative.

According to him, upon receiving the President’s request, he reached out to the Community of Sant’Egidio, applauded them for hosting the talks, and invited them to work with his government to bring these talks to a fruitful conclusion.

He also said he personally reached out to all the hold-out opposition parties under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance while expressing his desire to ensure an all-inclusive and equitable mediation.

Ruto said he was “encouraged that almost all the parties have responded positively to our call and Kenya is currently making the necessary arrangements to welcome the parties to Nairobi for pre-mediation consultations.”

He added that they invite all friends of South Sudan, including IGAD, the East African Community, the UN, the AU, the Quad and all Partner countries to support this noble effort.

Mr Ruto ended his remark saying ‘this is the time to give the people of South Sudan an opportunity to enjoy lasting peace and prosperity.”

 

PPC commences registration of political parties

South Sudan Political Parties’ Council has commenced the registration of unregistered political parties across the Country.

There were reportedly 14 political parties registered in South Sudan, according to records at the Political Parties Council.

However many parties emerged following the eruption of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts.

These include parties under the South Sudan Opposition alliance, and the SPLM factions such as SPLM-IO, and Real SPLM.

Other parties that emerged after the 2016 conflict include the National Salvation Front led by General Thomas Cirilo and the South Sudan United Front led by General Paul Malong, among others.

According to the Chairperson of the Political Parties Council James Akol Zakayo, any political party intending to participate in the upcoming general elections should now register.

“…order number one for the commencement of registration of unregistered political parties according to the provision of the article 197 A of the transitional constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 as amended, read together with section 8 subsection 6 and 7/ 11 E/ 12/14/13 of the political party’s act 2012 amended, and regulation 49 of the political parties regulation mended2024 and cognisant …do hereby announce the beginning of provisional and full registration of unregistered political parties in the country,” he read the directive.

“This order shall come into force on the date of its signature which is today [Tuesday]  the 23rd of January 2024.

James Akol went on to say “Each party that aspires to be registered must draw its members from two-thirds of the ten states and the three administrative areas.

“You need to have representations in all ten states, and your party must reflect the citizens of South Sudan. It shouldn’t be a tribal party; rather, it must be a party that captures all the tribes in South Sudan.”

In November 2023 President Salva Kiir reconstituted the National Political Parties Council (PPC) and appointed officials to lead the three institutions.

The Political Parties Council is mandated to register, monitor, regulate, and de-register political parties.

The other functions of the Council are to issue certificates of registration to political parties, maintain records of registered political parties, and administer the Political Parties Fund.

South Sudan has scheduled the official first-ever general elections at the end of the transitional period in December 2024 as per the 2018 peace agreement.

410,000 yellow fever vaccines due to arrive S.Sudan Friday

South Sudan is expected to receive over 400,000 doses of the yellow fever vaccine from the International Coordinating Group by Friday to response to the disease outbreak in Western Equatoria state, according to the Undersecretary of the National Ministry of Health.

Dr. Acer Macer says the International Coordinating Group (ICG), a consortium of several organizations that was established by the United Nations in 1997 agreed to release the batch of 410,596 doses this Friday.

The group acts as a mechanism to manage and coordinate the provision of emergency vaccine supplies and antibiotics to countries during major outbreaks.

The doses will be administered in five counties of Western Equatoria State.

“This is like the first emergency response to the affected counties, and then the discussions are ongoing regarding the bordering states like Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Lakes State, and Central Equatoria State.”

Early this month, the Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of Yellow fever in Yambio, Nzara, and Tambura counties of Western Equatoria State.

“Up to now, we still stand at the cumulative number of 25 cases including the one that was confirmed. Also, the cumulative of deaths stands at five,” said Dr. Acer Macer.

Following the outbreak, the Ministry of Health directed that all travelers entering or leaving the country ensure they carry along a yellow fever card while those without are advised to vaccinate against the disease.

P.8 results likely to delay as papers arrived marking center late

The Ministry of General Education and Instruction has blamed the delay in the marking of the Certificate of Primary Education Examination papers on constraints in returning the written examination papers to Juba.

The ministry has already announced that the new academic year calendar will commence on February 05, 2024, but the marking of the papers is still ongoing.

It’s not clear when the marking will finish but the ministry says, it’s trying its best to ensure senior-one students are not late for classes like in the previous years.

Deputy Minister Martin Tako attributes the delay in the marking of the examinations to challenges in returning the papers from some locations in the country.

“The obstacle is so huge, it was not easy to bring the written papers, it was very difficult. People had to make plans, and we had no money to do this,” he said.

He cited Greater Pibor, Ruweng, Raja, and Northern Upper Nile States as areas faced with difficulties in returning the papers.

Tako applauds the partners and the national army for flying back the papers to Juba for marking.

“We had to appeal to our partners and our national army, they had to give us helicopters and other planes to bring back the written examination papers from Greater Pibor Area, Ruweng, Raja, and Northern Upper Nile, it was not easy.

“It took time, it took almost two weeks for these written papers to come back for marking, and that’s why the marking delays,” he said.

In December last year, about 60,000 pupils sat for their Primary Leaving Examination across South Sudan on Monday morning.

 

BoSS to triple foreign exchange auctions next week

The Bank of South Sudan says it will triple the foreign exchange auctions to commercial banks and Forex Bureaus starting next week.

The undisclosed amount of money is in a bid to stabilize the foreign exchange market.

In a press release signed by the governor, Dr. James Alic Garang, the central bank says the new measures are due to the seasonality factor, as schools open in the region and public demand for foreign exchange picks up.

The country’s financial regulator says the policy direction is intended to reduce the pressure on the domestic currency, the SSP, and stabilize the general price level.

On the monetary policy, “the bank announced that it will strengthen the capacity to deploy effective instruments, targeting money supply through the issuance of more regulations and guidelines over liquidity management and reserve requirements.”

It added that “in collaboration with the fiscal authorities, the bank will re-introduce short-term debt instruments with commensurate returns.’

Commensurate return is actual money payment or documentation of money spent on the client’s behalf.

The central bank went on to say “it would neither tolerate unscrupulous actions nor hesitate to bring serious sanctions on offenders as it rolls out the new measures.”

It also encouraged market participants to assist in ensuring that the new measures engender the preservation of its external reserves, the stability of the country’s financial system, and the growth of the economy.

The central bank has since been using the auction policy, which has been criticized by some economists, in a bid to rescue weakening pounds that have sent commodity prices skyrocketing.

It believes that the auction of hard currency to both the forex bureaus and commercial banks is likely to prevent further depreciation of the South Sudanese pound against the U.S. dollar.

According to the Central Bank’s official Facebook page, as of today, 100 dollars sells at 110,000 pounds.

 

 

 

 

Prisoners at crowded Juba prison die of suffocation, says official

At least two inmates on a trial list have suffocated to death this month due to overcrowding at Juba National Prison, according to Director of the facility.

The Prison built in 1940 with the capacity to accommodate 500 inmates is now a home to 2838 convicts and suspects awaiting trial.

There are 937 convicts including 190 on death row and 1816 awaiting trial.

” Some cases of death occur among the waiting inmates who are the majority, but there are two cases (this month). Many cases of suffocation occur to inmates due to overcrowding in the prison,” 1st Lieutenant General, Atok Atem Barack told Eye Radio during an inspection visit to the inmates by the Ministers of Justice and Interior on Monday.

Gen. Atems said the severe crowding has also put inmates under psychological stress -with many, suffering from hygiene-related illnesses.

“They are waiting for the trial procedures, which may take a long time, and they know that they will be executed, which leads to the creation of a psychological condition and physical diseases that lead to death.”

General Atem added that there are some suspects whose prison orders haven’t been renewed since 2020 and he called on the court authorities and the prosecutors to cooperate in renewing the prison order.

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