Day: November 24, 2021

An Eritrean and a Somali driver were arrested in the border town of Nimule in Eastern Equatoria State on Monday for knocking and killing a man and woman in separate accidents respectively.

 

A man identified as John Taban was knocked dead last Sunday by an Eritrean trucker along the Nimule-Mugali road while late Ayen Ding met her death after a trailer driven by a Somalia national knocked and killed her in Nimule town on Monday

 

Major Juma George, the director of traffic police in Nimule town council, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that an Eritrean national identified as Woldo Kobasio driving a truck with registration number SSD 218 E knocked and killed Taban on Sunday.

 

He added: “In this accident where John Taban died, the suspected driver is an Eritrean driver named Woldo Kobasio, driving vehicle number SSD 218 E, and they were going to Abila to collect gravel but found the late motorist there and knocked him.”

 

He added: “On the second day (Monday), there is a woman who was knocked dead at around 1 pm. Her name is Ayuen Ding Dut. The suspect (driver) is Ahmed Hamed from Somalia and the number of the vehicle he was driving is KAS 949 D. this is what happened inside Nimule town.”

 

Maj. Juma said both drivers are in police custody ad that the families of the deceased will be compensated by the drivers with the help of the legal prosecutor as is the practice in Nimule town.

 

The police inspector in Nimule town, Maj. David Khasmiro confirmed the accidents.

 

“Yes there is a vehicle of one person who came from Mugale Payam and a vehicle knocked him and broke his leg and due to bleeding, he died before reaching the hospital,” Maj. Khasmiro said. “This incident happened on Sunday. The driver was arrested and is currently in police custody.”

 

Bol Kwir Agwer, the Dinka chief in Nimule town urged the traffic police to rein in drivers to reduce the rampant accidents in the town. He said the late Ayuen’s body was taken to Juba for burial.

 

“I heard about this incident this (Tuesday) morning, the woman called Ayuen was knocked by a Somali national. Her body was taken to Juba,” Chief Kwir said. “These accidents are in the hands of the government, the police traffic has to reduce them.”

 

Source: Radio Tamazuj

South Sudan’s ministry of irrigation and water resources on Wednesday announced plans to host the 29th Nile Council of Ministers (Nile-COM) meeting expected to be held in Juba on Friday 26th.

 

The Nile Basin Initiative is a regional institution with 10 countries: Burundi, DRC Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

 

Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources in South Sudan told reporters in Juba on Wednesday that the country would host the regional Nile Basin Initiative meeting on Friday 26th.

 

“The government of the Republic of South Sudan is the host of this year’s 29th Nile-COM meeting which takes place on Friday 26th. In addition ministers for water affairs from the member states and members of the diplomatic corps shall attend the opening session of the Nile-COM meeting. During this occasion key Nile Basin applications and the Nile Basin Atlas will be launched by the guest of honor Vice President James Wani Igga,” he announced.

 

Minister Gatkuoth says the Council of Ministers from the member states would discuss on Friday the annual plan for the Nile-COM, including approving the budget for next year.

 

“The expected outcome from the Nile-COM would include approval of the annual work plan and the budget of the Nile Basin Secretariat, and the recommendation on the Nile Tax as well as the presentation of the regional and transformed policies of the Nile-COM confederation and approval from the Council of Ministers on the 26th of November,” Minister Gatkuoth said.

 

Gatkuoth says several meetings on the Tax for groundwater steering committee are also taking place in Juba, including a meeting for Tax members Secretariat which will all be approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday.

 

“There is an ongoing meeting now for the Tax for underground water steering committee here in Juba, and also there is the other meeting of the Tax Members Secretariat to develop the agenda and also the other issues that the Council of Ministers would come and approve,” said Gatkuoth.

 

Engineer Sylvester Anthony Matemu, the Executive Director for the Nile Basin Initiative says seven ministers from the region have already confirmed their participation in the Nile Basin Initiative conference and shall arrive on Thursday.

 

“This governance meeting has a lot of blessings and many ministers would like to come to Juba. Up to now, seven ministers have confirmed to come and the others will participate virtually. On behalf of the Nile Basin Secretariat fraternity, I would like to thank the government of the Republic of South Sudan for really inviting us and for giving us a warm welcome and cordial reception since our arrival. We are happy that all preparations are going on well and all of us happy to achieve all the planned activities in the week,” Engineer Matemu said.

 

South Sudan is a member state of the Nile Basin Initiative and the opening session of the Nile Council of Ministers will be attended by ministers for water affairs of the member states.

 

Source: Radio Tamazuj

At least three people were killed and five others wounded by unknown gunmen in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State on Sunday.

 

The state acting information minister Makuku D. J. Sam told Radio Tamazuj that the victims were attacked after they left the displaced camp where they are sheltering to their farms to collect food items.

 

“Yesterday but one, (Sunday) unknown gunmen attacked some families who went to their fields to gather some food item. They come under attacks in which three people were killed including one woman and five people injured,” said Sam. “These are the people who were going to their farms to collect food items and go back to their families at the displaced camp.”

 

Sam claimed that the attackers are attached to SPLA General James Nando and other opposition forces in the area.

 

“Some negative forces, renegade militia of General Nando and the elements of I-O are accused of taking part in these incidents. When we step in as state government, we have to make sure that we mobilize all these forces and transport them to the training center in Maridi,” he said.

 

He said the state government has deployed security forces to protect the people, but acknowledged that such attacks are common in areas inaccessible by security forces.

 

“It is a prerogative of the state government to provide security to the citizens and as the state government, we are trying our level best to ensure that we maintain security in Tambura,” he said.

 

He assured the citizens that the government will ensure that those who commit such attacks are brought to book.

 

Attempts to reach Tambura County authorities for comment were unsuccessful.

 

Tambura County has experienced violent clashes in recent months, displacing thousands of people. However, life is slowly going back to normal after the government ordered the evacuation of rival forces there.

 

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Some of the former SPLM party parliamentarians in the Warrap State legislative assembly who were elected during the 2010 general elections have accused Governor Aleu Ayieny of omitting their names from the list of appointees to the newly reconstituted state assembly.

 

Last Wednesday, President Salva Kiir reconstituted the Warrap State legislative assembly as per the revitalized peace agreement.

 

Some of the affected former parliamentarians who spoke to Radio Tamazuj over the weekend blamed the error on the state governor, Gen. Aleu Ayieny, who also doubles as the SPLM chairperson in the state.

 

James Machock, who in 2010 was elected to represent constituency number 19 comprising of Awul and Manloor, said he was surprised after he did not hear his name on the new list read over the state broadcaster on Wednesday.

 

“My name is James Machock, I represent geographical constituency number 19 within Warrap State, Awul, and Manloor,” former MP Machok said. “We were surprised yesterday (Wednesday) when our state assembly was reconstituted and we found out that our names were replaced by other new members who were not elected like us. I feel this was an illegal act by the governor.”

 

He said the peace agreement is very clear on what is to be done regarding the reconstitution of the new states which implied that all the elected members of parliament in the state and national parliaments were supposed to be automatically reappointed.

 

Machock accused Governor Aleu of having problems with and targeting certain individuals politically.

 

“The governor has problems with individuals and particularly the people that he has replaced. He thought it was an opportunity for him to hit these people politically,” Machok charged. “He was even been saying this before he submitted his list for the reappointment of the members wherever he talks that he is going to hit his opponents. Our position is very clear, we are saying this is not a correct thing although he has done it, it is a mistake and we are asking our leadership in Juba, starting with our party chairman to revoke this decision that the governor has made against his political opponents.”

 

He said their exclusion by the governor is a slap in the face of democracy.

 

Another former state lawmaker, Mayar Deng Mayar, who represented constituency number 10 of Alek North said the numbers in the house were increased to ensure the accommodation of those elected in 2010.

 

“What made it to go to 100 plus (members) was because most of the elected members in the states were from SPLM party 100 percent and that is why the number increased to 100 plus,” Deng said. “The meaning was to retain the elected members. The president knew nothing about the states because the list was just submitted to him and he only issued the decree.”

 

He added that Governor Aleu was who was in charge of the list of state parliamentary appointees excluded the legislators who were democratically elected in 2010.

 

Reacting on the matter, Governor Aleu Ayieny admitted that mistakes might have been made but that the selection was done by the SPLM party organs. He asked the affected former legislators to direct their complaints to the party office.

 

“We have processes and sometimes mistakes happen, we are following this up,” Governor Aleu said. “I think this is not a big deal, there were original ones (parliamentarians) who were elected and when Warrap State was divided into two states, they were affected, but I think those original ones, most of them are there.”

 

He added that the nomination process was not an election and that he had nothing to do with selecting and appointing the legislators to the reconstituted state assembly.

 

“This is not an election, it is the party that selected. It was also after so many processes and I am not responsible for this,” Gen. Aleu absolved himself. “Let them complain yes, complain to the people who were in charge of this process.”

 

Governor Aleu Ayieny fires trade minister, Gogrial East commissioner

 

South Sudan’s Warrap state governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu on Monday fired Anthony Joong the state trade minister and Ayom Bul, the Gogrial East County commissioner.

 

Riing Deng Ading, Warrap State’s information minister confirmed the firing of the duo and said that the political changes are normal and the governor’s prerogative.

 

“This is the normal routine that anyone in authority can just do. Nothing bad was done by Governor Aleu, he has seen incompetency and a vacuum so he has to fill it,” Minster Deng said. “So, the minister of trade and industry, Joong Anthony was relieved and replaced with Amiir Amet Kuol as an implementation of 35 percent women affirmative action, and Ayom Bul, the commissioner of Gogrial East was relieved too and replaced by Maluach Lueth.”

 

Joong welcomed his sacking and said he will be ready anytime the nation needs him back and said he was on his way to the University of Bahr el Ghazal in Wau where he is a lecturer.

 

Former Gogrial East County commissioner, Ayom Bul, said the plans he laid down will not flourish in his absence.

 

“I know they will miss my strategic plans like the communication network was a done deal and would have been installed immediately when the water dried up,” Bul said. “The road would have also been constructed from Wau to Lietnhom next January.”

 

Source: Radio Tamazuj