Abyei authorities defend SSPDF troops’ presence in the area

The deployment of government troops to a demilitarized zone in Abyei Administrative Area is due to a small number of UNISFA forces in the area, according to spokesperson Bolis Kouc.

Bolis Kouc is reacting to the call by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations on South Sudan’s government to withdraw its troops from the demilitarized area of Abyei.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned their presence could further fuel tensions in the area.

He was cited on Tuesday by AFP as saying  “We are deeply concerned about the presence of South Sudanese security forces in southern Abyei since October 2022,” adding that “additional military deployments took place in March and April of this year.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the security council that Several thousand UN peacekeeping forces are deployed in the region and their work is being hindered by South Sudanese forces.

In response, Abyei Information Minister Kouc said the SSPDF soldiers were deployed in the area to defuse tension between the communities of Ngok and Twic.

” The army came and centered in the area of Agok.  Agok is a vital area and it’s an area that faced a conflict between the two communities of Twic and Ngok.

“When the army entered the Agok area by the permission from the government and it was during the time of the former administrator Kuol Dem,” he said

He said the soldiers are out of the Abyei box, and are only concentrated in the Agok area to monitor the situation in the area

“They will be deployed in the bordering area between Twic and Ngok, and this bordering area between Twic and Ngo.”

Besides, he said the Ghanaian peacekeeping forces of UNISFA in the Southern Kiir river are small in number.

“The argument and the issue are that the peacekeeping forces of UNISFA which is from Ghana in the Southern of Kiir river is small in the number,” he added.

4 children died, 7 hospitalized after suspected food poisoning in Akobo County

Four children have died and seven others admitted to a hospital in Akobo County of Jonglei State due to suspected food poisoning.

Bang Nyuon, a medical doctor in Akobo who attended to some of the patients confirmed the incident to Eye Radio on Wednesday morning

According to Dr Nyuon about 12 family members ate dry fish for supper on Tuesday evening when they started diarrhearing and throwing up.

According to him, two of children were initially rushed at midnight to the traditional healer, but upon their return home, one died.

The second child, and another elderly person succumbed to the condition at 6 AM.

Meanwhile, the fourth, a child as well died while receiving treatment at the Akobo civil hospital later in the day.

“What happened is that, after eating dry fish at 9pm in the evening, at the midnight two of those affected had symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting, and were taken to traditional healer but the traditional healer didn’t do anything.

“Upon their arrival home, one of those children died, and the other two died in the subsequent morning at 6pm.

‘The fourth one was taken to the hospital and died there. It looked like a poisons, but we cannot establish the sort of this poison and where it came from,” Dr Bang narrated.

Dr. Bang said four others including the mother of the deceased children have been admitted to the hospital.

“Out of four, two are still in the hospital but one of them still in the critical condition, but the other three are okay,”he said.

According to Bank, the patients presented muscle rigidity, confusion, constriction of the eyes and unconsciousness.

Dr Bang said the hospital and the ministry of health are working to ascertain the cause of condition.

 

Gola bans security & public personnel from age-set fight

The government of Pibor Administrative Area has prohibited security apparatus, public personnel and community based organizations from participating in age set fights in the area.

Chief administrator Gola Boyoi Gola issued the order 3rd May.

” I Gola Boyo Gola, Chief administered of greater Pibor administrative area, do hereby issue this administrator order prohibiting all security apparatus, civil servants’ employees, staffs of international, national and community base organization from participating in age-set fight in 2024, with immediate effect from 3rd May,” his order reads.

Gola further warned any individual against violation of his order, else, each will face a consequence including arrest and termination of working contract with humanitarian organizations.

Others include arrest and dismissal from the rank and file of military or organized forces and civil servants’ employees from the government.

Age sets, according to Murle heritage, are social groups that are mostly for men in a particular age group that they will typically belong to for the rest of their lives.

Boys are born into a specific age-set distinguishable by name, colour and scar patterns traditionally made on the skin. One generation has an age span of 10 to 15 years.

Traditionally, there comes a time for each generation to become decision-makers for their people.

Age-set fight involves fighting between the opponents often for influence in the community but since the civil war, the traditional form of entertainment has been compromised as it involved the use of guns.

 

Six officers arrested in Kuajok tragic civilians detention

Authorities in Warrap State have arrested six officers including the commander of Brigade 4 in Kuajok over death of seven suspects in a military detention container early this week.

The deceased were reportedly locked in a 20-foot shipping container on Sunday when they suffocated to death.

One of the eight initially arrested was said to have survived.

Warrap Information Minister William Wol said the suspects who were accused of various crimes were held in a facility not designated for detention and those responsible did it without authorization from the state government.

Wol said six officers including the commander and military intelligence responsible for the Barpuot Military Barracks as well as a captain in-charge of detention were arrested yesterday on the orders of the governor.

The three other suspects are non-commissioned officers who were managing the detention container.

“They were arrested yesterday (Tuesday) immediately – all of them , no one escaped,”Wol confirmed to Eye Radio

Widow seeks help for 20-year-old bed-ridden son

A widow in Juba is appealing to well-wishers to help her with a wheelchair to facilitate her 20-year-old paralyzed son.

Lawrence Swaka Daniel, a fifth born reportedly developed complications when he was just 3 months old.

At four months, he was diagnosed with the complications at the Usura Tuna primary healthcare center in Juba.

According to his mother Celerina Denya, Swaka has been bedridden from when he was a new born.

Woman in her 40s grapple with 20-yesr-old paralyzed son in Jub|Photo Credit -Charles Wote|07-05-2024

Left with no option, the woman has often to carry her son on her back to health facilities whenever he is ill.

“I am carrying him in my back, and walk slowly. If  I will have take rest on the way, I get a shade and walk again,” She told Eye Radio at her residence at Luri Rokwe North-west of Juba

Denya, a breadwinner mother of six who lost her husband to illness in 2014 is surviving on compound gardening and support from well-wishers.

Denya said she is tired doing for years now and appeals for support.

“These days, I am unable to carry him because he is heavy and I don’t have transport fare. I even don’t go to get his medicines these days.

“If I get a support of a wheel chair, at least I will be able to push and walk with him around even if to the hospital.

Rival armed civilians behind Tambura insecurity, says army

The SSPDF has blamed the insecurity in Tambura County of Western Equatoria State on rival Balanda and Azande armed youth groups who have been carrying out targeted killings and looting.

Tambura County witnessed in recent weeks experienced skirmishes that left one person dead, and several houses razed down.

Catholic priest Luke Yugue and his boda-boda rider was also reportedly abducted along the Nagero-Tambura County road.

The incident involving the disappearance of a clergy is the first of its kind in South Sudan.

Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, SSPDF spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai said that armed civilians – mainly youth from Balanda and Azande communities in Tambura have been carrying out targeted killing and looting along ethnic lines.

“I would like to make it very clear that those who are posing security problems are armed youth from two rival communities -armed youth from the Balanda ethnic group versus the Azande ethnic group.

However, General Lul said there has been no direct confrontation between the groups.

“Those are the armed civilians who are responsible for the insecurity, and the insecurity that they are causing is targeted. They are not involved in physical confrontations.

“What they are doing  is carrying out armed robberies being targeted killings looting and they are doing it at along the line.”

General Lul added that the Chief Défense Force of the SSPDF has ordered the command of the 6th Infantry Division to relocate his headquarters temporally from Maridi to Tambura to oversee offensive operations.

“The SSPDF command under the Chief of Defence Force, General Santino Deng Wol ordered the command of 6thInfantry Divisio n Major General Akech to relocate his headquarters from Maridi to Tambura, so that he overseas offensive operations so that the normal security situation is restored.

” So, we are getting on top of it here. It started deploying forces based on security threats that were being posted by this rival armed youth,” Gen. Lul said.

He added that commander Major General Akech is also tasked to carry out peaceful civilians’ disarmament.

“There will be peaceful disarmament, and once it’s fails or geared little fruit, they will carry out of forceful disarmament. We want to collect all the firearms that are in the hands of the civilians who  are killing themselves.”

A week ago, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tambura urged President Salva Kiir to declare a state emergency in Tambura County as inter-communal tension sparked by banditry attacks in the area.

Early this week, Western Equatoria State governor said he would not tolerate not group causing insecurity in the county, and will launch a hunt after them in the bushes.

Warrap govt probing civilian deaths in SSPDF’s detention container

The Governor of Warrap state has formed an investigation committee after seven people including two soldiers suffocated to death in a military detention facility of Barpuot Brigade Four in Kuajok early this week.

Warrap’s Minister of Information, William Wol said that deceased suspects include four natives from Tonj North County, three from Gogrial East County and another two soldiers.

The deceased were reportedly locked in a 20-foot shipping container on Sunday when they suffocated to death on Monday.

One of the eight initially arrested is said to have survived.

According to Wol, the suspects  who were accused of various crimes were held in a facility not designated for detention without authorization from Governor Kuol Muor Muor.

“They have decided to place them in their detention container site in Barpout in Kuajok. Unfortunately, they spent a day in the container where there was another suspect already inside.

“In the evening of date 6, unfortunately, when they were checked inside the container,  all were found perished and one person among the suspects was in critical condition.

“So 7 are confirmed dead, and one is survived. So, this is a shocking incident.”

Minister Wol said following the incident, Governor of Warrap Kuol Muor Muor quickly issued orders for the arrest of the Brigade 4 Commander, as well as officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) responsible for the Barpuot Military Barrack, including those on duty during the incident.

He formed a committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths of the seven suspects in military custody within one week.

The committee, chaired by the Division 11 Commander, and deputized by the Warrap State Attorney General, comprises officers from Warrap state security agencies.

“An urgent formation of a committee that is going to investigate what has prompted the SSPDF Brigade four headquarters to arrest civilians.

“Of course we know only those who can be under the care of the detention of the SSPDF are soldiers, but civilians are supposed to be arrested by the police. This is going to be revealed out by the investigation.”

Minister Wol, clarified that the suspects perished in a military detention facility, not in a container located at the Governor’s State House, contrary to reports circulating on online media platforms.

He is urging patience as investigations progress while assuring the government’s pledges to ensure justice for the victims of what he described shocking and unfortunate incident.

IGAD consulting Juba on regional child rights policy framework

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is conducting consultations with stakeholders in Juba on the development of a regional child policy to promote and protect child rights in member states .

The two-day exercise is due to conclude on Wednesday.

The proposed policy requires adequate efforts to prevent and respond to abuses, neglect, exploitation, and violence affecting children in the region.

“The reason we came here is to make sure that there are forward-thinking and policies that are aiming at fostering a conducive environment and safeguards the rights of individuals and communities especially children, ” said Victoria Anib, the head of social development at the IGAD Secretariat.

Stakeholders being consulted are the Ministries Education, Health, Humanitarian and Foreign Affairs as well as development partners such as UNICEF, Save the Children and World Vision, among others.

“We wanted to hear from different stakeholders and also our development Partners like save the children UNICEF, World Vision and Civil Society organization dealing with children so that we are able to align the national context with this policy,” she added.

She says the consultation aims to align the national context with this policy that seeks to fostering a conducive environment and safeguards the right of individuals and communities especially children.

For her part, the Director General of Gender and Child Welfare Regina Ossa said, the policy will cover the protection, welfare, and rights of children – stressing the primary responsibility of parents.

“When we talk about the welfare of the child and the rights of the child, these include a lot of things; their education their right to life, their right to name, and their right to education.

“The protection of children parents has to protect their children and provide for their basic needs all the needs food shelter and all that,” she explained.

According to IGAD, children in the region suffer from socioeconomic situations such as high poverty rates, limited access to essential resources including education, health, and shelter.

They are faced with acute food insecurity and nutrition challenges as well as irregular migration.

On peace and security, the regional body cites protracted conflicts and instability, civil wars, cross-border conflicts, terrorism, political instability, and forced displacement among issues affecting children.

Sudden and slow-onset natural disasters, such as severe drought, food, and climate changes, are among other issues affecting the growth of children.

 

 

13 mothers separated from children in “forced repatriation” to S. Sudan -MP

At least thirteen South Sudanese mothers have left behind more 20 children after they were forcefully repatriated allegedly by authorities in Sudan.

That’s according to a lawmaker at the National Legislative Assembly.

Fadwa Shaowai, an MP from Renk County of Upper Nile State said the women had fled to Madani from Khartoum following the onset of the Sudan’s conflict.

When the fighting extended to Madani recently, they fled to Senar where they were asked to produce Sudan Nationality Identity Card.

Shaowai said the women reportedly told the Sudanese authorities they are South Sudanese, but they are taken to court which ordered their repatriation to South Sudan.

The women, according to the MP, were picked a car and brought Wunthou in the border of South Sudan, leaving their children behind.

” When we asked them what happened, they said Sudan’s government asked them to produce their national identity cards . When they told them (Sudanese officials) they are not Sudanese but South Sudanese, they were taken court.

“Because they don’t have ID cards, the Sudan government prepared car, picked them and took them from Senar to Wunthou in the border of South Sudan.

according to the MP Shaowai “one of them has seven kids, another has a five-month baby, also another has a month old baby.”

The lawmaker said that the deputy governor of Upper Nile State tried intervened two weeks ago during his visit to Wunthou border area, but was unsuccessful.

“We were in the visit with the deputy governor when did several calls and they (Sudanese authorities promised to bring those kids, but till today (Tuesday), those kids have not been brought.”

She appealed the national government to intervene and rescue the more than 20 children, by establishing contacts with the Sudanese authorities.

 

 

 

 

error: Alert: Content is protected !!
Exit mobile version