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A young female lawmaker is urging women not to fight men, but rather cooperate with men to achieve their rights. Continue reading Fighting for women’s rights, not ‘punching’ men – Lawmaker

President Salva Kiir and his first deputy, Dr. Riek Machar have resolved to scrap the law that allows the National Security Services to arrest people without an arrest warrant.

That’s according to Cabinet Affairs Minister, Dr. Martin Elia Lumoro.

“I want to point out that the National Security Law where there was apparently disagreement on sections 54 and 55 pertaining to arrest with or without a warrant has now been agreed by President and the First Vice Presiden,t and those will be scrapped.

The national security service act, 2014 as amended in September 2019 gave the national security service the power to arrest anyone without a warrant.

Rights groups had described the law as a means to silence critics as the NSS has been accused of widespread human rights abuses.

The move comes as the unity government officially commences the two-year peace roadmap Wednesday.

The U.S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday announced $3 million in additional funding for agriculture resilience programs in South Sudan.

USAID said Food security remains its priority and the additional funds will be used to strengthen community agriculture development.

These additional funds will support farmer groups in areas where seasonal production is possible and specifically target women’s economic advancement through increased agriculture production and diet diversification.

The funding is also expected to help women farmers to access improved seed varieties, increase crop diversity and improve agricultural practices.

“This additional funding will strengthen USAID efforts to reduce emergency food dependence and increase household resilience,” said Kate Crawford, the USAID Mission Director for South Sudan.

Traders in a Tanzanian district have been banned from displaying scantily clad mannequins outside their premises.

The directive is meant to protect the country’s values, said Rashid Msaraka, the head of Unguja town district in the country’s islands of Zanzibar.

In an interview with a popular blogger, Mr. Msaraka said such mannequins could still be displayed inside shops.

He said the scantily clad mannequins lined outside premises were visible to schoolchildren and youth and had the potential of distracting their minds.

“We have received complaints from people who are concerned about the psychological effects. I know other districts will also follow suit,” he said.

A 35-year-old man suffering from a fluid build-up in his brain is appealing to well-wishers for financial support to get treatment for the condition.

The medical condition known as hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ventricles deep within the brain.

This excess fluid causes the ventricles to widen, putting pressure on the brain’s tissues.

James Buoyar Mel is a former worker of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

He says the illness occurred after falling sick to typhoid before experiencing visual deterioration and pressure in his spinal cord in 2017.

Following his sight checkup,he was then transferred to Nairobi, Kenya in 2018  where he was given some medicines to help reduce the spread of the disease to other parts of his brain.

According to Buoyar, a Kenyan medical doctor who attended to him advised him to back after 5 years for a follow-up.

But the condition has worsened over the years despite taking the medication.

The father of four says he is currently jobless and cannot make it to Nairobi, Kenya for the medical follow-up.

Speaking to Eye Radio on phone yesterday, he put a call to the well-wishers to assist him to review his health status as the given period has drawn.

“I happened to have a sickness which has become a burden on me and I can’t afford anymore to look for medication outside South Sudan,

“So, if there is anyone within the community there with the will to help take me outside again for treatment.”

Worrying about his kids, Buoyar said the illness has become a burden to him and he wants to restore his health to support them.

“I don’t have anything since I have no work. My wife is with me and four children who are even still very young,

“This thing is worrying me and that is why I have to look where I can help so that I start supporting myself alone”, he said.

The Court Martial in Juba has given the public prosecution a week to complete investigations into the killing of three Syrians and a South Sudanese by an SSPDF soldier in Warrap state early this month.

This came after the court corrected complaints raised by the suspect’s defense lawyers who last week accused it of a conflict of interest.

This is because one of the judges was a member of the investigative committee.

The accused private Yak Garang Yak 40 years was arrested for allegedly killing four workers of a construction company.

The incident happened in the Akon village of Gogrial West on the 7^th of this month.

During Saturday’s first hearing, the military public prosecution Lieutenant Colonel, Andrew Riak Nyau said the suspect was accused to have reported drunk to work by the workers, which led to his suspension.

Riak said the suspect went home and took a gun when shot the four construction workers dead, injuring another.

He requested the court to consider all the legal procedures according to the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Riak also called on the court to give him enough time to complete the procedures and investigations.

On his part, the suspect’s defense lawyer Captain Francis Laboka requested the prosecution to bring the crime exhibits including the weapon, two mobile phones, and the car that the suspect used to escape.

However, the Presiding Judge of General Court Martial Maj General Majok Michael Chan adjourned the court session to the 10^th of next month to hear from the complainer.

“This is an issue of public opinion, and it needs a speedy resolution, but this does not prevent the justice system from taking the right path. Please do not procrastinate in the procedures. All procedures and investigations must be completed,

“As for the Public Prosecution, we will give you a period of one week to complete the procedures, and if they are not completed within a week, you must submit a request to extend the period.

The Military Public Prosecution filed a police case against the suspect under sections 206, 305,329 of the South Sudan 2008 penal act 2008 and 76 and 69 of the SPLM 2009 Act. –

A Ugandan woman who broke up with her fiancé has been ordered to pay him financial damages for psychological anguish.

The court in Kanungu said Richard Tumwine paid 9.4m shillings ($2,550; £2,060) for Fortunate Kyarikunda’s law studies, which she must now repay plus his legal fees.

By calling off their engagement after four years, Magistrate Asanasio Mukobi ruled that Ms. Kyarikunda had broken a promise to the detriment of Mr. Tumwine.

The court said it was “unreasonable, a misrepresentation and a fraud” for the defendant to argue that her parents told her not to marry an older man, saying she “had all the opportunity to reject the plaintiff’s love requests at the earliest point possible and avoid interfering with his financial obligations”.

It is not known if Ms. Kyarikunda will appeal against the judgment. Critics tell the Monitor newspaper that the verdict is flawed because an engagement, unlike a marriage, is not legally binding.

Meanwhile, Sheila Kawamara, of the women’s advocacy group ED EASSI, warns there are sometimes exploitative circumstances whereby a man gives money to a woman on the condition that she will marry him.

The General Secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches says more than 200 IDPs from Malakal, Bentiu and Wau will be transported to Juba to meet with Pope Francis next week.

“Since the Pope due to medical advice from his doctors saying he should not go on a lot of bumpy roads, then we opted to get the IDPs from behind Jebel there to come to the freedom hall”, Clergy James Oyet said.

“After some connections and consolation with our partners from United Nations Mission in South Sudan. They have accepted to bring for us 50 IDPs from Malakal, and  56 IDPs from Benti,” he said.

Their travel by road and air to Juba will be facilitated by the church and the UN mission in the country.

He also said some IDPs from Bor will be transported to Juba by bus.

“For IDPs in Bor, we have to arrange the transport for them because from Juba to Bor the road is all tarmacked.”

According to Oyet, the displaced persons will join 1,200 others from the IDPs camp in Juba.

He told Eye Radio that the pontiff will also listen to the testimonies of three children from Malakal, Bentiu, and Juba camps.

Pope Francis and other faith leaders will arrive in Juba on February 3^rd to fulfill his postponed Apostolic Journey to the country.

He will be accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

According to his previous schedule, the Pope was supposed to visit the displacement camp in Juba, commonly known as PoC3.

It was announced in May 2022, that the Pope would drive to the Internally Displaced Persons of Juba on the second day of his visit, before holding a Prayer at the John Garang Mausoleum.

However, there was a change of plan in the second schedule of his South Sudan trip.

According to Fr. James Oyet, Pope will not be able to visit the internally displaced person’s camp due to his health condition.