Day: February 9, 2022

Jonglei State government operations have been brought to a standstill as civil servants in Bor protest a cut in their allowances, a government spokesperson said.

This comes days after the state government announced that an increment on civil servants’ allowances would be cut and the money used to foster security in the state.

However, the civil servants rejected the cut and went on strike on Monday.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Veronica Wiliam Deng, the state information minister, said they have not been able to work since morning because the protesting civil servants shut down the government headquarters.

“This morning, our civil servants shut down the General Secretariat and ministries,” she said. “No government office is operational. All the ministers are indoors because the government is shut down.”

She said the much-anticipated opening of the legislature has also been disrupted.

“By now, we should have been at a sitting opening the parliament but we woke up to this development,” she stressed.

Minister Veronica, who is the government’s mouth’s piece, said there are discussions to resolve the matter.

“We believe this will not go on for the whole of today. We are engaging the civil servants so that we get a solution to this problem. What they are saying is that they want back the money which our governor topped up to their salaries. Our message is that they should make their demand peacefully,” he said.

Abraham Mading Amer, the acting head of the Jonglei Trade and Workers’ Union, is adamant that the protests will continue if the government fails to pay the allowances.

“Our salary arrears for July, August, and September are inclusive of all the allowances we demanded during the protests. However, the government is cutting some allowances from October. We rejected this,” he said. “The government has enough money to cover for security operations. Why our allowances, why not cut their salaries also.”

He added, “The police this morning, detained a representative of the Teachers’ Union and they are targeting my secretary-general and I for the arrest. But protests are ongoing.”

For his part, Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, denied knowledge of any arrests and claimed the situation is calm in Bor.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

At least one person was killed in a cattle raid in the Macii area of Kapoeta South County of Eastern Equatoria State on Sunday night.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Angelo Lominit Lotaba, the county commissioner said the cattle raiders went away with about 60 cattle.

“Two days ago a man was killed in Macii one, the person was shot and when health officers came to rescue him, they found him dead. The people of Buya came to steal the calves and the late was following after them because the calves were his and that is where he was shot,” Lominit explained.

He accused criminals from the neighboring Buya community of being behind the raid while calling on the government to find ways of resolving cattle raids.

For his part, Major Philip Odong Maya, the police inspector in Budi County said he had not received any information regarding the cattle raid but instead said there was a clash between soldiers and residents at a water source in Nauro.

“This information, I have not heard. But in Nairo, there was an incident on Monday at 8 pm. The Toposa people found a soldier taking a bath at a river and started shooting at him, but they did not kill him. Afterward, the soldiers followed these people and clashed with them, but no one was killed in the clashes,” he concluded.

Last week, authorities in Torit County confirmed that one person was killed in Olianga Village of Hiyala payam during a raid in which over 20 cattle were stolen by suspected Buya men.

Source: Radio Tamazuj