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Central Equatoria legislature has adjourned to next week, 15/11/2023 a vote of no confidence against three state ministers accused of corruption after some members boycotted the sitting on Tuesday.

The legislature has accused the Ministers of Cabinet Affairs, Finance, and of Housing, Land, and Public Utilities of exchanging a public plot with Five Toyota Landcruisers worth 100,00 US dollars.

Yesterday, the parliament’s fact-finding committee moved a motion for a vote of no-confidence against Viania Kakuil, Godwil Wayi, and Fred Laku Raymond respectively.

According to the committee, it found out that the officials did not meet due legal processes for the disposal of government property.

It established that the ministers exchanged plot number 60 Block 13 to SHI Petroleum Services for 25 years since 2019 and the Investment department was not involved in the process.

However, some members of parliament differed with the move for a vote of no-confidence after the Speaker suggested a secret ballot.

As a result, discontented MPs boycotted the siting, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the session to next week.

Morris Andrea who is the Deputy Chairperson for information, Culture Youth, and Sport at the legislature explains.

“The adjournment of the sitting is by law because the attendance was going to be subjected to voting, but some of the members when the sitting was adjourned for 10 minutes, did not come back.

“So that’s why it was adjourned,” he said.

On his, Khamis Kwaje, the Secretary for the Opposition Caucus says, the speakers’ suggestion for a secret ballot led to the division of the house.

“The deliberation went well but of course, has been a contentious issue and the house got divided, and based on the ruling, regulations number 90,

The August was given ten {10} minutes adjournment, and by the time the August house was to return, most of the members decided to boycott the meeting.

“Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the sitting got adjourned until Wednesday “Next-week 15^th-Nov, 2023” but the adjournment happened after the motion was adopted.

 

The team leader of the Girls’ Education South Sudan is advising parents and teachers to ensure school girls receive their cash transfers safely and transparently.

On Monday, over 400,000 schoolgirls started receiving cash transfers across the country.

According to the program, school girls in primary 8, and senior 4 will receive 32,000 pounds each, while girls in primary 5, 6, 7, and senior 1, 2, and 3 will receive 25,600 pounds each.

Akuja de Garang, the project team leader called on them to support the school girls as they start receiving their yearly cash transfers.

Girls’s Education South Sudan cash transfers are direct payments to girls who are regularly attending school in different classes mainly in the primary.

It aims to address the high rate of schoolgirl dropouts particularly those transitioning from Primary to Secondary school.

The program is also to help improve girls’ access to quality education and to boost social inclusion.

“Let’s make sure that our girls are safe during this process as we have communicated, this is important for the benefit of our country.

“Let’s look at the bigger picture, we might say you want to take five pounds or ten pounds from what they have,

“But these five or ten pounds have a huge impact on the future of this young lady who is the future of South Sudan. So please let’s protect them and make sure they receive the money in full and safely, ” said De Garang while speaking on Eye Radio’s Dawn show on Wednesday.

President Salva Kiir on Monday, 30-10-2023 revoked the appointment of David Yau Yau as a member of the SPLM Liberation Council while citing his powers in  the SPLM Constitution.

And as President of the Republic of South Sudan, Kiir  revoked the appointment of David Yau Yau as a member of the Greater Pibor Legislative Council.

In a similar decree, Kiir removed the appointment of Butrus Ochalla Ojulu as a member of the GPPA Legislative Council.

Visiting members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday met with President Kiir and discussed the sanctions regimes imposed on South Sudan.

The presidential press unit cited the Head of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on South Sudan Michel Xavier Biang as saying, they had a constructive discussion with the President on a number of critical issues including the elections.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said President Kiir has comprehensively informed the UN delegation on the commitment of the government to peace and stability in the country.

The UN Security Council team is in Juba to assess the progress in the peace benchmarks crucial for creating a conducive environment for lasting peace.

On 21 September,  President Salva Kiir called on the United Nations to lift the arms embargo imposed on South Sudan to aid peace implementation and to secure the 2024 elections.

The Head of State had acknowledged the political, humanitarian, and security challenges the country has faced since 2013.

However, he said they [parties] turned the corner with the signing of a revitalized peace agreement in 2018

However, Kiir said, “What remained was to fast-track the implementation of the remaining provisions of the agreement in order to conclude the transitional period peacefully through fair, transparent, and credible elections in 2024.”

According to him, “the government has managed to engage in dialogue and consultations with the various stakeholders including the civil society, women youth traditional leaders, and opposition groups to ensure the peace process is owned and driven by our own people.”

Going forward, he said, “We call upon the United Nations to lift the arms embargo imposed on us to aid peace implementation and to secure the elections.”

 

 

Two siblings have been reportedly abducted by suspected armed men in Liriya Payam of Juba County, according to the authorities. Continue reading Two siblings abducted by gunmen in Liriya of Juba County – Official

The East African Community on Thursday launched the East Africa Press Councils (EAPC), an umbrella body bringing together media regulatory authorities within the region. Continue reading EAC launches regional Press Council in Arusha, Tanzania

A coalition of civil societies in the Democratic Republic of Congo has held a protest in Goma calling for the exit of a combined East African force from the east of the country over its failure to deal with the M23 rebels.

In November last year, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan sent troops to DR Congo, under the banner of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), to try and disarm the rebel group and bring peace.

The M23 has continued to hold some towns and villages in North Kivu province. Seven people were killed earlier this month in the area.

Last week, DR Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya confirmed to the BBC that his government would not be renewing the EACRF mandate.

He said that Congolese troops would do a better job adding that the EACRF should leave at the end of the mandate in December.

In a recent statement the East African Community said its forces were dedicated to working closely with the government enabling the safe return of internally displaced persons to their homes and enhancing the overall protection of civilians.

Goma has also seen deadly protests against the UN mission in the country.

More than 6.2 million people have been forced from their homes in the east of the country and are living elsewhere in DR Congo, and another one million have sought asylum mostly within Africa, according to the UN’s refugee agency.

The National Parliament Deputy Speaker has suggested the need for tough measures including what he terms as “whipping” of national ministers who are absenting from parliamentary sittings.

This was after the bicameral house spotted persistent empty seats for ministers during sessions.

“… the chairs at your right-hand side are all empty, no minister came except yourself who is also a member of this August House, ‘ said Deputy Oyet Speaker Nathaniel.

Nathaniel who chaired Wednesday’s session reminded the executive on their obligations to attend Assembly to answer questions related to their dockets before the August house.

“Please, you whip these ministers so that they are able to attend the sittings because there are questions that should be asked to them directly.

“I don’t know whether the ministers are dodging questions or what is really happening?

He warns if not taken care off, ministers will fail to adhere to the reminder.

Oyet suggested that the Assembly table a motion to discuss on measures against ministers who fail to attend the Assembly sittings.

“They are supposed to be here so that we can ask questions to them directly and we get the answers or else, one day we shall table the motion to discuss what to do with whoever doesn’t want to come and attend parliamentary sitting,” he said.