A customary court in Rumbek East County, Lakes State has fined the owner of a ram which killed a woman in the area recently. Continue reading Court fines killer ram owner, detains murderer until cleared
Category: States
States
New Yei Catholic Diocese Bishop calls for team work among clerics
The newly installed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yei, Central Equatoria State, has called for cooperation among his clerics and faithful to enable the church grow.
Bishop Alex Lodiong was consecrated in Yei town on Sunday.
“The mission that we are going to undertake, we are going to do it together,” said Bishop Lodiong.
He succeeds Emeritus Bishop Erkolano Lodu Tombe as the second Bishop of the Catholic diocese.
This comes after his appointment by the Holy Father, Pope Francis on February 11th this year.
In his remarks after the consecration, Bishop Lodiong pledged to embark on a pastoral visit to the communities across the county.
“The more we do our work in humility and simplicity and we do those works correctly, the more our Church will succeed. Protocols don’t make things to succeed. The biggest riches we can have is love and mercy and solidarity.”
He also planed to meet the different groups of the Church to begin his mission.
“After this visit, then we will come back home, and we sit down with all the different groups, we will sit together and plan for this Diocese.”
Suspended minister threatens to sue Gov. Futuyo in court.
The suspended Minister of Housing in Western Equatoria State has denied the corruption allegations labeled against him by his governor.
Minister Peter Simon has described the accusations surrounding his suspension as baseless and demands an investigation.
On Wednesday, the Governor of Western Equatoria, Alfred Futuya suspended Minister Peter Simon Sarawasi for allegedly selling public land in Yambio town.
He was also accused of selling all electrical equipment belonging to the ministry of housing and land in the state.
In response, Peter Simon Sarawasi denied all the allegations and threatened legal actions against governor Futuyo.
“I demand my rights, and I demand an investigation because they are baseless accusations, so I will take legal actions, and I demand that the governor be summoned to clarify these accusations and hear from him these allegations and to present pieces of evidence because the accused is said to be innocent until proven guilty,” the state minister said.
However, the gubernatorial order didn’t show the exact location of the plots and lands he allegedly sold.
Simon who was appointed on the SPLM ticket is demanding that Governor Alfred Futuyo support his claims with substantial evidence, or otherwise, his party will go to court.
“So, we will take legal procedures to claim my rights. The party will demand its right, but I will demand my rights against these baseless and false accusations.”
‘Arrest of killer ram warranted by law’ Justice Raimondo
A professor of Law at the University of Juba has said the arrest of a ram by Lakes State police is the correct procedure, which is warranted by the law.
Geri Raimondo, who is also a former Justice of the Court of Appeal in the Judiciary says the step is necessary to force the owner to appear for settlement of the case.
Yesterday, the police spokesperson in Lakes State told Eye Radio that they are holding a ram accused of knocking dead a woman in Rumbek East over the weekend.
45 years old Adhieng Chaping attempted to stand up when she was repeatedly head-butted on her ribs by the aggressive animal.
The ram believed to be five years old pounced on the woman with its rock-hard face.
Commenting on the matter, Geri Raimondo says the arrest of a ram will force the owner to report to the police.
“An animal is under the responsibility of a human being and this human being is either a man or a woman. So if this animal committed wrongdoing, then the owner is the one to be answerable before the court of law,” Raimondo told Eye Radio.
“..Arresting a ram is to force the owner to come then to be told that your ram or your goat has done this and has done damage to somebody else. Then they will go for negotiation as settlement, how to settle,
“Are they ready for settlement of the matter or they want to go ahead to the court? After deliberation, if they resort to settlement, that is good then compensation is going to be paid but if they fail to settle the issue amicably, outside of the court then they have the right to continue in the court.”
South Sudan does not have a clear legal framework on how such cases are handled.
The state police said local customary laws suggest that any domestic animal that has killed a person is given as a compensation to the family of the deceased.
When asked by Eye Radio, Geri Raimondo said the country is using what he referred to as tort law.
“The law of tort is not only for South Sudan or Britain it is a universal law all over the World whether in Western countries or Eastern countries even in Islamic countries we are applying the same,” he said.
A tort is a wrongful act that injures or interferes with another person or property.
This includes negligence, where a person suffers harm because of another party’s failure to take proper care.
Geri Raimondo explains how relevant tort law for South Sudan is.
“By the way, we are members of the UN, we are one family. In the law of tort, there is no criminal intent. There is something called negligence, carelessness, harshness, and recklessness. Negligence means without care, without putting care.”
Congolese army frees detained WES fisherman after ransom.
A Western Equatoria State fisherman who spent nearly a year in detention has been released by the Congolese army after the family paid 700 US dollars.
Gibson Alex, 35,and his young brother, Seme Michael, 23, were arrested by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the border area of Sakure in Nzara County.
Gibson Alex was released on Wednesday this week after the family paid the Congolese authorities a negotiated sum of 700 US dollars.
“We paid seven papers [$700] and he has been released.He is now with me at home but he is sick and his health is deteriorating. We have taken him for treatment,” his father Alex Taban confirmed to Eye Radio.
Taban said the money was contributed by relatives and family members.
“Some family members contributed with the money and even communities also contributed after reaching what they [Congolese authority] want, we paid for him to be released,”his father Alex Taban confirms.”
The two brothers were accused by the Congolese soldiers of crossing with firearms into the Congolese territory.
After their arrest in October last year, the siblings were transferred to Dungu, a Congolese town in Haut-Uele Province.
They were among a group of people who allegedly attempted to cross for fishing at River Mbuere situated, a few kilometers from Sakure Payam. But, the younger brother, Seme Michael was first released after the family paid $300 to the Congolese authorities.
State Minister quits job to pursue further studies
The Minister of Labor and Public Service in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state has resigned.
Charles Chan Anguei said he tendered his resignation due to personal matters that needed his attention.
Chan, who abandoned his position on Thursday last week said his resignation was not politically motivated.
“It is true that I have resigned from the Ministry and the reasons for my resignation are very clear in my resignation letter, it is really something I have already shared with my Governor,” Chan told Eye Radio this morning.
One of the reasons the former minister cited was the pursuance of his postgraduate studies.
“I want to leave my position so that I can go and attend to my personal matters which includes my postgraduate studies and if I have to attend to this while in the Ministry then I will not be able to perform well may be in the Ministry or either in my personal matters,” he stated.
Chan is calling on his yet-to-be-appointed successor to cooperate with the state government.
“I also advise him to be in collaboration with the Honorable Governor, with the government, with the party, and with the people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. Obviously, because I even told my Governor that when I come back, I can still come back again,” said Chan.
For his part, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Information Minister, William Anyuon confirmed the resignation of the Labor Minister.
“That is true, Honorable Chan Angue the Minister of Labor, Public Service has resigned. According to the Minister, he said he has some personal issues that could not allow them to continue with his current job, so he decided to resign and there is nothing more over his resignation letter,” Anyuon said.
Anyuon said the state government would make necessary arrangements for Chan’s replacement soon.
“We have potential people that are also qualified to fill his position. So the Governor will make a process and somebody will be appointed to replace the former Minister,” he said.
The former official from the SPLM party was reportedly in Juba for a leave where he tendered his resignation.
Charles Chan Angue was appointed in February last year by President Salva Kiir.
Efforts are underway to evacuate cattle keepers from Magwi- official
Efforts are underway to evacuate cattle keepers from Magwi county of Eastern Equatoria state, an official has said.
Continue reading Efforts are underway to evacuate cattle keepers from Magwi- official
MoH declares cholera outbreak in Unity State.
The Ministry of Health has declared a cholera outbreak in Rubkona County of Unity State.
This comes after the health authorities confirmed at least 31 cases and one death from cholera since mid-April.
All cases have been discharged.
In a press statement early on Sunday, the authorities and partners said they are conducting further case searches in the households and neighborhoods to identify additional cholera cases.
This is after reports of a steady rise in acute watery diarrhea cases were reported in both the Bentiu and Rubkona IDP camps, and among the host community.
The outbreak in Unity has been linked to poor hygiene in the overcrowded camps and lack of access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation facilities.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria and the risk is high during the rainy season.
The Ministry of Health urges the public to observe all precautionary measures to prevent community transmission.
The measures including drinking boiled or chlorine-treated water, using latrine, washing hands with soap and water after using the latrine and before eating, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water before eating them and keeping your environment clean at all times.
Travelers to Abyei targeted, two went missing, says spokesperson
At least two people have gone missing along Abyei – Mayen-Abun road after they fell into an ambush by unknown armed men over the weekend. Continue reading Travelers to Abyei targeted, two went missing, says spokesperson
Governor Adil orders plot owners to build or lose ownership.
The governor of Central Equatoria State has given landowners a year’s ultimatum to build their unused plots or lose the ownership.
Emmanuel Adil Anthony said the state government has discovered that some individuals have acquired more than 10 plots that are not developed in the suburbs of Juba City and other towns of the state.
Speaking at the state secretariat in Juba yesterday, Adil asserted that any piece of land that is not built is bound to attract potential land grabbers.
“We discovered one person may have ten or fifteen plots. We encourage the land owners to develop plots allotted to them and any piece of plot that is not developed, is subject to temptation, you don’t develop it within half a year, we give you a warning,” Governor Adil said.
He told land owners to occupy their plots to reduce the temptation of land grabbing.
“My leadership is encouraging land owners to embark on building estates, flats with the correct requirements and specifications,” he said.
Several residential areas in Juba city have seen increasing cases of land grabbing that have resulted in violence and insecurities in recent months.
On Tuesday, residents of Jondoru, Kor-Wolliang and Kasire in Juba engaged in brief clashes with land grabbers, injuring at least two people.
The suburban settlers appealed to the state authorities to immediately deploy organized forces to de-escalate the tension.
Governor Emmanuel Adil however said the measures will address the issue of land grabbing.
He also said failure to honor the one year ultimatum will lead to the confiscation of some plots by the government.
“If one year closes according to the land policy, we will withdraw that piece of plot from you. This is the decision we have taken.”
He warned that anyone who settled illegally on already demarcated land will be forcefully evicted.
Adil also disclosed his government’s plans to digitize land parcels as a measure to curb conflicts related to land.
The recurrent land related conflicts are attributed to the rapidly growing population in the city.
Authorities also believe the high value for land in Juba has resulted in illicit practices of land from powerless rightful owners.