Day: November 23, 2021

A cross-section of women representatives from the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly Monday commenced a five-day parliamentary exchange and learning visit to the Kenyan capital Nairobi to share experiences and learn skills from their counterparts there.

Speaking during the opening of the event, South Sudan’s parliamentary affairs minister, Mary Mawai, said the women of South Sudan worked hard to get the 35 percent for women’s affirmative action.

“Maybe you might have heard that we have 35 percent affirmative action for women in South Sudan, it was not just given to them, they worked had to deserve it, during the war women contributed a lot,” Minister Mawai said.

She added: “They were taking care of the families and making some shelters to accommodate them, providing health services in terms of nursing wounded soldiers and even cultivating to get food, and mobilizing food to send to our soldiers.”

The parliamentary affairs minister explained that when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was being negotiated in 2005, women pushed for affirmative action to be enshrined in the constitution and by then it was 25 percent.

“When they negotiated peace in 2005, that time women pushed for their percentage to be enshrined in the constitution and it was 25 percent,” Mawai said. “As conflicts continued in South Sudan, our contribution was also there for peace implementation and as such, we have added another percentage, we are now at 35 percent for women affirmative action.”

For his part, the undersecretary in the parliamentary affairs ministry, Kutiyote James Francis, appreciated the Kenyan government for allowing them to learn and that the acquired knowledge will be put to good use back in South Sudan.

“For us in South Sudan, we come from a very challenging background already and we want to learn, we want to have ideas, we want to have that knowledge that can help transform the system into a very strong system that can help build the country because we rely on our friend across the region,” Kutiyote said.

UN Women’s program officer for peace and security, Shukuria Syed, said that her organization is always there to empower women in South Sudan for good governance.

“UN Women is always ready to empower women leaders in South Sudan for good governance and I request my colleagues to take this opportunity very seriously so that we can learn,” Syed said. “I will be there with you to help you implement whatever we take from here.”

One of the participants, Monica Juan, said appreciated UN Women and CEPO for the workshop and that she has learned the procedures to be followed by parliamentarians.

“We are supposed to know more about the system of the government and also about our rights as a women member of parliament,” Juan said.

The workshop was organized by UN Women and facilitated by CEPO.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

The South Sudan Airline Operators Union (SSAOU) is calling on the government of South Sudan to call off the ban on Antonov planes citing a looming humanitarian crisis in parts of Greater Upper Nile and Barh El Ghazal areas.

SSAOU Secretary-General for information and CEO and Managing Director for Optimum Aviation, Kat Monyjok, says the ban has led to a lack of transportation of goods and supplies to far-flung areas not accessible by road.

“The messages that we are receiving from the areas outside Juba such as Yida, and Renk, our civil population there is crying because there is no means of transport that could take goods to those affected locations. Like the entire Upper Nile, and also some parts of Barh El Ghazal and Unity States including the three administrative areas they are highly affected and they don’t have means of transport to take the cargoes there,” Monyjok echoed.

He insists that Antonovs remain a major means of transport in most parts of the country due to the poor road network in the country.

“The reason as to why we (operators) are using the Antonovs is because we as a country don’t have an alternative and a solution. We don’t have good roads to go to these areas and we don’t have any other means of transport apart from the air transport,” Monyjok added.

The SSAOU official says the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should have studied the repercussions of a ban before taking the decision and put in place alternative plans.

“What Civil Aviation should have done was to come up with the mechanisms not to ban the Antonov but to look into the mechanisms on how to ensure that the safety standards are maintained but not actually to ban them because what option do they have? Surely if these Antonovs continue to be grounded for the next few days, the effect will be massive,” he said.

Monyjok calls on the CAA to allow Antonovs to resume operations as they institute proper standard measures.

“I would request the South Sudan Civil Aviation to first give time to the current Antonovs to operate. In the meantime, as they come up with the best ways and mitigations on how best to reduce these accidents in conjunction with the operators like us to first set certain standards and regulations,” he advised. “And use that time to transform some of the airstrips that we have so that they can be able to accommodate other different types of aircraft.”

Justine Nyama Amos, an official from Sun Air Aviation company said, the ban on the Antonovs has created gaps in the air transport business.

“This decision by the government has created a gap and this has affected our business. Antonovs are very effective and fuel-efficient and can land on dangerous airstrips given the current situation of most airstrips we have in South Sudan,” Nyama said.

He said the air transport business has been affected as customers fear that all aircraft are grounded.

“Business has dropped a little bit because of the news we hear outside,” adds Nyama.

The CAA, on 10th November 2021, banned all Antonov planes from operating in the country citing a lack of proper maintenance and registration documents.

The decision came days after an Antonov 26 plane operated by Optimum Aviation crashed in the Gondokoro area adjacent to Juba International Airport killing five crew members after takeoff.

Source: Radio Tamazuj