President Kiir directs ministry to investigate student crisis in Rumbek JUBA, 3 October 2011 - The President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit has directed the minister for General Education and Instruction Hon. Joseph Ukel to immediately send an investigation committee to Rumbek, the capital of Lakes State, and investigate reasons which led the Secondary School students to stage demonstrations and find solutions for the crisis.
This came during an urgent meeting the President held today Monday October 3rd, 2011 with a delegation from the Ministry of General Education and Instruction led by the minister Hon. Joseph Ukel. The meeting was also attended by the deputy minister Hon Rebecca Joshua Okwaci and the Undersecretary of the ministry Mr. George Justin Achor. President Kiir meets with delegation from Ministry of General Education and Instruction. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth] Shortly after the meeting, Hon. Ukel told the press that the delegation came to brief the President on the situation which arose this morning in Rumbek that led the students to stage demonstrations and causing distraction in schools and state ministry of Education in the Lakes State. Hon Ukel said that in connection with the state Government, the ministry of General Education and Instruction decided to close down the schools in Rumbek until the situation is arrested. He assured the public that the ministry will soon send an investigation committee as directed by the President to look into the reasons of the crisis. He explained that if the finalists think that the closing down of the schools will affect them and choose to remain calm, the ministry will direct the state authorities to let them continue with their studies. Reported by Thomas Kenneth President Kiir meets Rumbek East Commissioner JUBA, 3 October 2011 - The President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit today in his office met the Commissioner of Rumbek East County Mr. David Marial Gumke. During the meeting Commissioner Gumke briefed H.E Kiir on the general situation in his county. The Commissioner told the press after the meeting that the security situation in the county has become normal after all the youth from the different counties of Lakes State have been disarmed according to the directives given by the Governor of Lakes State Eng. Chol Tong. President Kiir Shakes hands with Commissioner of Rumbek East County Mr. Marial Gumke. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth] In the area of health, Mr. Gumke said the issue of malaria has become a general concern in the state and reported that he brought it to the attention of the President. He explained that his government is doubling its efforts to improve food security and education as directed by the Governor and in the framework of the 100 days policy of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. Reported by Thomas Kenneth Housing minister joins procession marking Habitat Day JUBA, 3 October 2011 - The minister for Housing and Physical Planning Hon Jemma Nunu Kumba yesterday joined a group that was organized by the United Nations Habitat to stage a peaceful procession to mark the International World Habitat Day that is celebrated annually on 3rd of October. The peaceful procession was started from the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning to Hai Zandia settlement where the office of UN Habitat is located. Addressing the gathering, the minister called on the UN Habitat and the other donors to make available the funds for more housing projects. “The day is great and it is nice for me to celebrate together the International World Habitat Day which is the first of its kind for the Republic of South Sudan”, she said. The minister also called on the public to be mindful of the issues of rapid changes in the climatic conditions that have now been a global phenomena as emphasized by the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Habitat on the occasion that climatic change has become an indispensable parameter of human life that deserves special attention to deal with. “The Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning and the UN Habitat are great friends and we usually work closely on numerous issues, such as urbanization planning and standard town settlement where every citizen have equal access to housing including those with disabilities”, she said. The minster explained that climate change has contributed to economic and social setbacks and that the government will prepare a strategy of dealing with it through environmental conservation. Hon Jemma Nunu Kumba (fifth from left) joins the procession. She explained that after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement people moved to the major towns in South Sudan in which slum became the norm. She said the Ministry can work together with the other stakeholders for decent urbanization setup. She said that Hai Zandia was established in the 1960s as one of the settlement centres in Juba. She said it is great for the UN Habitat to revive the historical background of the area alongside recently selected places for demonstration in Bor and Lakes states. She pointed out that lack of funds, inadequate capacity and basic services contribute to the poor housing standards and urged donors to support the UN Habitat adequately to realize better cities for the future. The UN Habitat Programme Manager Mr Anthony Lamba delivered the message of Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Executive Director of UN Habitat which emphasized that the rapidly urbanizing world is the matter of great concern. According to the UN Habitat, cities and climate change global report on human settlement estimated that by 2050 there would be as many as 200 million environmental refugees worldwide, many of whom will be forced from their homes by rising sea levels and the increased frequency of flooding or drought. These should be prevented through better urban planning and enforcement of building codes so that city residents, especially the poorest, are protected as far as possible against disaster. Reported by Ater Garang Ariath RSS Country Code +211 goes live JUBA, 3 October 2011 – The country code "+211" for the Republic of South Sudan went live on Saturday, 1st October, 2011, two months ahead of the set deadline for the switchover which was 15th December 2011. Please, click here to read the speech of the Chief Guest – The Minister for Telecommunication & Postal Services Hon. Maj. Gen. Madut Biar Yel – on the occasion of the new country code launch by GEMTEL, at the Quality Hotel, Juba. UN supporting efforts to prevent clashes in Jonglei JUBA, 1 October 2011 (NASS) – The United Nations has established air surveillance operations in Jonglei State to deter any potential attacks between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General in the Republic of South Sudan Ms Hilde Johnson has announced. Ms Johnson asserted that the cycle of violence in the state must be stopped so as to save lives. She appealed to the community, religious and political leaders from the region to impress upon the people the need for peace and discourage them from waging retaliatory attacks on each other. She said that the UN is monitoring the situation keenly and has put adequate measures in place to prevent further violence. Particularly, she said, the UN is working to prevent the abduction of women and children. She also said that the UN is working with UNICEF to facilitate the restoration of families which had been displaced from the region by the violence. She said the UN will provide non-food items and other support to the families in Pieri who bore the brunt of the last weekend attacks. Ms Johnson (left) and Dr Marial (right) during their meeting. The UN officer made these remarks yesterday when she paid a courtesy call on Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin the minister for Information and Broadcasting, who is also the Official Government Spokesperson, to exchange notes on the security situation in Uror County of Jonglei State. Dr Marial commended the support of the UN in supporting the nurture of peace in the Republic of South Sudan. He reiterated the commitment of the government to collaborate with the UN, the church and other neutral organizations in the pursuit of lasting peace in the troubled areas of Jonglei State. Reported by Martin Jada Gabriel, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) Juba City Legislative Council drafts regulations JUBA, 1 October 2011 – Please, click here to download the Conduct of Business Regulations of the Juba City Legislative Council. Information minister challenges the church not to neglect Abyei JUBA, 1 October 2011 (NASS) – Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the minister for Information and Broadcasting and Official Government Spokesperson has urged the church to keep a keen eye on Abyei and support the peace building efforts in the area. Addressing the International Ecumenical Conference of the Council of Churches in Juba yesterday, Dr Marial cautioned that the tension over Abyei will escalate if the church does not intervene. He said that the government is committed to a peaceful resolution of the Abyei debacle but needed the support of the religious institutions. Dr Marial (right) addressing the participants at the conference. “We went to the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague over Abyei before the South Sudan referendum and the court passed a fair judgment on the border issues but the government in Khartoum has ignored the judgment and has continued to attack the region”, he explained. Dr Marial said that the government appreciates the role the church played during the liberation struggle. He encouraged the church to continue supporting the new government in its peace and development efforts. He said that the role of the church is exemplary in the issues of justice and peace building. He reiterated the commitment of the government to the full implementation of the CPA signed in 2005. He also said that the government of the Republic of South Sudan is committed to facilitating peaceful coexistence with the neighbours in the North. Reported by Martin Jada Gabriel, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) Vocational training centres critical for development JUBA, 30 September 2011 – Vocational training centres are critical for the development of essential skills for the socio-economic development of the country, Hon Awut Deng Acuil, the minister for Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development has said. Speaking during a visit to inspect Bentiu Vocational Training Centre in Unity State, the minister that vocational training centres provides courses that empower the youth making them independent productive citizens. The minister revealed that most of the equipment at the VTC is ready and estimated that the vocational centre requires the sum of One Million South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) to complete. She urged the national government, donors and the state authority to mobilize the funds to enable the centre to open and begin to deliver services to the people through skilled transfer. The centre will offer courses in automobile-mechanics, electricity, welding, tailoring and others. Hon Awut Deng talks at the Bentiu Vocational Training Centre. Hon Joseph Arop Malual, the minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development in Unity State explained that the centre will help to create self employment which will reduce dependency, especially among the youth. He said that neither the national nor the state government can provide job opportunities to all South Sudanese. He explained that joint efforts by the private sector through vocational training centres can build the capacity of the youth to self-employ. According to the Director General of the centre Mr. John Kuol Riek, its challenges include the lack of technical instructors and funds. He called on the South Sudanese in the Diaspora to come back home with the various skills to assist in the reconstruction of the new Republic of South Sudan. Meanwhile, the deputy minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development Hon Kwong Danhier Gatluak held a meeting with Mr. Sachio Yamamoto, a JICA advisor to discuss issues related to the improvement of the Juba Multi-Purpose Training Centre. Hon Kwong chairing the meeting with JICA representatives. The deputy minister underscored the role of the vocational training centres in supplying skilled workforce for the nascent South Sudan’s labour market. On his part, Mr Yamamoto announced that the 3,860 people who have benefitted from the centre are already employed in the public, private and development sectors of the economy. Reported by Justin Jada Joseph and Alnour Ango “We are confident we can win the war against HIV and AIDS”, Dr. Machar JUBA, 29 September 2011 - The Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan Dr. Riek Machar Teny yesterday asserted as an independent state, the Republic of South Sudan is capable of winning the war against HIV and AIDS. While addressing a meeting of stakeholders attending a three days’ workshop on the launch of HIV/AIDS strategic framework and other guidelines organized by the South Sudan HIV and AIDS Commission in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (RSS) and development partners at the New Sudan Hotel in Juba. The Vice President stated that the government is aware of the deadly epidemic and is ready to support all the efforts to fight it. He said what is today the HIV and AIDS Commission was started way back in the SPLA/M “bush” days as a department and added that when peace came, the government of Southern Sudan was able to underline the importance of the department in fighting the disease and quickly moved in to form the South Sudan HIV and AIDS Commission. Dr Machar addressing the participants. [Photo: Matata Safi] He said the purpose of the conference was to compare notes at all levels beginning from the local, national, regional and international, on the best approaches in trying to deal with this global epidemic, share experiences on what has worked and what has not in order to avoid mistakes that have been made elsewhere in the efforts to prevent the HIV and AIDS scourge. The Vice President also said the government is on the forefront in the fight against the epidemic and explained it is the reason the government was able to allocate 35million South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) in its 2010/2011 budget to the HIV AIDS Commission. He further said a successful fight against HIV and AIDS can only be possible if combined efforts from the civil society, academia and international partners is realized. “We call on all leaders including religious leaders to include HIV and AIDS messages in their work”, he said adding that this will help instill a positive attitude amongst the population who may not be aware of the prevalence of this epidemic. Dr Novello addressing the participants. [Photo: Matata Safi] Dr. Machar called on all stakeholders to scale up their HIV and AIDS awareness services as per this year’s theme “Forging strategic partnerships in the HIV response in South Sudan” to reach the rural areas where, he said, the majority of the population is and with no or little knowledge about HIV and AIDS. He lauded the work of the South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission in creating awareness among the population and also appreciated the contributions of all other partners who have stood by the Commission to develop, expand and implement its projects. The chairperson of the Commission Dr. Esterina Novello underscored the importance of the workshop. She said the workshop had drawn partners from region, and indeed, the whole continent. She explained that the participants were invited from the United States and other countries to come together to share the timely information on the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Some of the participants at the workshop. [Photo: Matata Safi] She said that even though South Sudan has come a long way, it still has a long way to go. She further stressed that there are challenges of stigma which hamper people living with HIV and AIDS from accessing medical help. Dr. Novello stressed that access to healthcare is a fundamental right as is stipulated in the Interim Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan and urged all people to exercise this right. She further said she was grateful to the wise leadership of the President of the Republic HE Salva Kiir Mayardit for his support towards the activities of the commission. She called on all the people from all walks of life to actively participate in the campaign in their official and individual capacities. She reported that 1st December 2011 which is the World AIDS day is around the corner. She said this is the day to remember friends and relatives who have been lost through the epidemic. The workshop, which is being attended by over 200 participants including HIV and AIDS activists; politicians; community, religious and opinion leaders; from within and outside South Sudan. Reported by Matata Safi USAID pledges support to teacher training institutes in South Sudan JUBA, 29 September 2011 - Maridi, Malakal and Mbili Girls’ teacher training institutes will soon experience a facelift in an attempt to provide better learning environment and a modern training institute for teachers in South Sudan. This was revealed yesterday by Mr Kelvin J. Mullally the Mission Director of USAID in South Sudan after his meeting with the minister for General Education and Instruction Hon Joseph Ukel. The two discussed the urgent need to renovate or even reconstruct the three teacher training institutes that were been devastated by the war. Mr. Mullally echoed the support that the government of the United States of America and their willingness to support education in the new Republic of South Sudan. He said the USA will continue its support to the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, particularly in its pursuit to provide basic education to the people of South Sudan. Mr Mullally talks to the press as Hon Ukel (left) listens. He further said his government through USAID will continue to work with the ministry as they move to develop the curriculum for teacher training and added that they are working with other donors to see how they can extend the support to the ministry in order to address other priorities of the country. Hon Ukel appreciated the kind gesture and said it was a good choice made by the USAID administration to support teacher education. “Work must begin immediately in these three schools because we desperately need teachers”, said the minister. He further said the government is ready to provide whatever assistance it takes in support to USAID in achieving this goal. Reported by Gisma Shaban Suleiman Efforts to stop child labour in South Sudan in top gear JUBA, 29 September 2011 (NASS) – The Government of the Republic of South Sudan through the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare in partnership with the International Labour Organization, International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour, and Tackling Child Labour Through Education are working on strategies to monitor and eliminate child labour in South Sudan by fully applying the Child Act, 2008. The partners held a workshop in Juba this week whose objective was to develop a framework to tackle child labour in South Sudan by building protective environment for the children; advocacy by the civil society on the participation of the children; creation of appropriate attitudes, customs and practices coupled with the relevant reintegration programmes safeguarding the interests of children; asserting that all children have rights regardless of their gender, race, religion; and bringing to an end the employment of children in bars, lodges and other entertainment premises. Opening the workshop, the advisor in the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Mr Peter Sokule Buni urged all South Sudanese to protect their children by giving them the right education; protecting them from violence, kidnapping, injuries, diseases, sexual exploitation, child trafficking, abduction, and harmful socio-cultural practices. He emphasized that empowering the children is critical if they have to become useful citizens of the new country. The Director General of Child Labour Ms Regina Ossa said that some of the causes of child labour stem from early marriages and alcoholism. She called on the communities to discard such practices. The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare is also partnering in these efforts with the ministries of Interior; Justice; Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development; General Education and Instruction; as well as the Judiciary, UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations. Reported by Simon Akol, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) South Sudan working to manage animal diseases JUBA, 29 September 2011 (NASS) – The Republic of South Sudan has upped its efforts to manage animal diseases so as to maximize the benefits of its vast livestock resources to the economy of the country, Hon Dr Martin Elia Lomuro, the minister for Animal Resources and Fisheries, has announced. The minister emphasized that animal disease control is part of the 100-days priority programme announced by President Salva Kiir Mayardit recently. He said the priority in the livestock sector is to ensure that all the diseases are eliminated before focusing on marketing the animal products. He emphasized that only quality products will attract markets. The minister poses for a photo with the participants of the workshop. Hon Dr Lomuro made these remarks in Juba yesterday when he opened a workshop on animal diseases sponsored by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The workshop, attended by veterinary officers, was to develop a strategy for animal disease control. The minister pledged that the recommendations of the workshop will be implemented faithfully by the ministry. On his part, Dr George Okege, the Head of FAO in South Sudan, acknowledged that South Sudan is rich in animal resources. He said that the priority now is to improve the livestock by controlling their diseases. He announced that livestock vaccination all over the country will be launched soon in furtherance of these efforts. The function was also attended by the Deputy Minister for Animal Resources and Fisheries, Hon Dr Nadia Arop Dudi. Reported by Abdulrazig Juma, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) President Kiir meets Dr. Lam Akol in Nairobi NAIROBI, 28 September 2011 - The President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit today in his residence in Nairobi met Dr. Lam Akol the Chairperson of the SPLM/DC. Shortly after the meeting President of the Republic told the press that Dr. Akol decided to join the new nation building journey in ticket of his party SPLM/DC, and he will soon come to Juba. “We welcome his decision”, H.E Kiir said. In an intensive interview today at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, Dr. Akol said he has not come to Juba since the independence of South Sudan for a number of reasons some of which are personal while some are connected to the political atmosphere in the country. He explained that in his meeting with H.E the President, they discussed some political issues and now he is ready to come to Juba; he will not continue to keep away from his own country. H.E Kiir meets with Dr. Akol in Nairobi. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth. Dr. Akol also sent a message to the people of South Sudan calling for unity. “We should push together as South Sudanese and be united for a common objective of building the new state in a democratic, political, religious and cultural diversity”, he said. He urged his party to push forward with the program of building South Sudan and act as a mirror for correcting mistakes for the government since the opposition and the ruling party are complementary. “We are joined together by the new country, only the way of serving people is being seen differently from each other”, he emphasized. The opposition leader described the speech delivered by the President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to the UN/GA in New York, as a good speech, for it came at the time when the newly born state of South Sudan is in need of the goodwill of the international community. He said UN and AU did not take long to recognize South Sudan. “As we are now applying to the regional organizations, we expect smooth welcoming”, he predicted. He said further that the theme of the speech was that the new state is facing a lot of state building challenges needs to determine which areas it needs assistance in. Reported by Thomas Kenneth Elisapana from Nairobi France to train South Sudanese French teachers JUBA, 28 September 2011 – The government of France will support the training of South Sudanese French language teachers. This was revealed to the press yesterday by the minister for Education in the government of the Republic of South Sudan Hon. Joseph Ukel after meeting Christian Bader the ambassador of France in his office in Juba. The minister said the government of France through its ambassador has extended willingness to start training teachers in France whom after the training will be deployed to various schools to start teaching the language. The project, according to the minister, will first take 12 teachers who will undergo a 6-month intensive training on the language in France. He said the number of teachers going for this training is expected to increase with time. He further stated that many Sudanese scholars who are now teaching in various universities were taught in French language. He further underscored the importance of French language in the region saying that some of the neighboring countries to South Sudan speak French and stressed the importance of the inclusion of this language into the South Sudan school syllabus. Hon Ukel (left) meeting the French delegation. Whereas the French ambassador said that the idea of teaching French in schools in South Sudan is to provide opportunity for people in the country interested in learning French to do so. French is spoken all over the world; even South Sudan. He further reiterated the keenness of the government of France to support the new government. “My government is keen to provide whatever we can to help the government of South Sudan”, he said. French language that has been one of the optional languages in taught in secondary schools in South Sudan as early days of the Sudan independence of 1956 is yet to be reintroduced into the secondary school syllabus. In another education event last week, a teacher training institute funded by the government of Japan and implemented by the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees in Aweil opened its doors to the public in a colorful ceremony officiated by the deputy minister of General Education and Instruction Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci last week. Hon Okwaci (second right) and Mr Wada (left) stand with other leaders during the opening. Hon Okwaci said the opening of the teacher training school came at the right time as South Sudan desperately needs teachers in providing quality knowledge to the children of the country. She also lauded the support of the government of Japan in strengthening education in South Sudan. In the handover speech Akiniro Wada the ambassador of Japan to Sudan said the construction of the teacher training school is been part of Japan’s programme of improving educational facilities in South Sudan for integrating returnees and empowering the host communities through the UNHCR. Ambassador Wada said Aweil teachers institute will act as a model institute to deliver tangible peace dividends to the children of South Sudan. He said Aweil being one of the states that has received the greatest number of returnees will greatly benefit from the institute. The ambassador also said that the government of Japan has actively been supporting education in South Sudan through JICA. Also present at the occasion were the governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal Hon Paul Molong Awan, the Undersecretary of General Education Mr George Justin Achor. Reported by Gisma Shaban Suleiman South Sudan training anti-terrorism unit JUBA, 28 September 2011 – The Republic of South Sudan is training an anti-terrorism unit within its security agencies to deal with any potential terrorist threats, the minister for Interior Hon Alison Manani Magaya has announced. The minister explained that even though no actual terrorist threats have been detected so far, the country needs to have systems to deal with it in place. He also explained that the presence of illegal foreigners in the country exposes it to security threats. He said that the ministry will screen foreigners and create a database containing their details. He said this database will help in preventing criminals from coming to the country. The minister also reported that crime regimes unknown in South Sudan such as armed robbery, breaking into houses and shops, counterfeiting of money, and drug trafficking are lately being registered in the country. He said that intelligence reports indicate that these crimes are being introduced by foreigners hailing from the neighbouring countries and West Africa. He reported that some of those counterfeiting money have been arrested and a number of machines used for counterfeiting have been confiscated. Hon Magaya (left) stresses a point during the media forum. He is flanked by Hon Marial, the minister for Information and Broadcasting. Hon Magaya also said that such economics crimes are affecting the country’s young economy greatly. He asserted that the ministry is taking the situation seriously and has mobilized adequate resources to counter it. He also reported that the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary have been requested to accelerate judicial processes and set up special tribunals to tackle the cases promptly as they come up. Nonetheless, Hon Magaya said that the security situation in South Sudan is generally calm save for sporadic criminal activities here and there especially among the pastoralists in Jonglei, Lakes, Warrap and Unity states. He also reported that in the past two weeks, disarmament exercises have been going on in Warrap and Lakes states and that another will commence in Warrap state this week. He emphasized that the disarmament exercise is voluntary and that the people are responding very positively to it. He added that plans are in place to establish permanent points of presence in high risk security areas. He announced that auxiliary police forces will be deployed to those areas to maintain law and order and prevent insecurity incidents. The minister also said that another area of security concern which is currently being addressed is the presence of the LRA in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Western Equatoria. He added that the LRA together with some armed groups are still active and are getting arms from Khartoum to destabilize South Sudan. However, he said that whilst some internal rebels are already responding to the President’s amnesty, others are adamant. He expressed hope that the adamant rebels will think seriously about taking this amnesty offer because they cannot continue harming their own people. The minister made these remarks yesterday when he addressed the weekly media forum hosted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Juba. Reported by Rosemary Chacha South Sudan to issue visas, not travel permits JUBA, 28 September 2011 - The Minister for Interior Hon Alison Manani Magaya has announced that the process for issuing visas for entry into the Republic South Sudan is being changed from issuance of travel permits to stickers. The minister said that the stickers will be issued at all South Sudan embassies abroad and where there are no embassies, arrangements will be made with other consulates. He also announced that the stickers will also be issued at border points. Hon Magaya also reported that the Ministry is also in the process of creating procedures of issuing entry visas as is the practice in other countries. For instance, he explained that foreigners entering on a visitor’s visa will not be allowed to work but will be expected to obtain work permits and thereafter be issued with a resident’s permit. Hon Magaya (left) addressing the media forum in the company of Hon Marial (right). On the issuance of passports, the minister said that the first generation of passports had mistakes and that the corrections were underway. The new passports were expected to be in place in November this year. He also reported that the machines for processing national ID cards are also expected to come and added that issuance of these documents will be decentralised. He also said that the process of issuing passports will also be decentralised to the states but clarified that the production will be done in Juba. He also explained that the process of issuing diplomatic passports will be very strict to prevent abuse. The minister made these announcements yesterday when he addressed the weekly media forum hosted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The forum was facilitated by the minister for Information and Broadcasting Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin. The Deputy Minister for Information and Broadcasting Hon Atem Yak Atem and the Acting Undersecretary Mr Mustafa Biong Majak also attended the forum. Reported by Rosemary Chacha Construction of Audit Chamber’s headquarters to begin JUBA, 28 September 2011 (NASS) – The South Sudan Audit Chamber last week signed a contract with M/s Macdowel Limited for the construction of its headquarters. Speaking during the signing ceremony in his office, the Auditor General Ambassador Stephen Kiliona Wondu called on the contractors to observe high quality standards and complete the project on time. He also noted that this is first of the major construction projects following the independence of South Sudan. Ambassador Wondu also thanked the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for coordinating the pre-construction project activities including the architectural and engineering design as well as the procurement of the works contract stages. The project is jointly funded by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) administered by the World Bank under the Rapid Emergency Project. The site of the building works is at the Ministry Complex in Juba. Also present at the signing ceremony were the Projects Coordinator Mr Santino Majak Director General of Administration in the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and Eng. Peter Magambo the Managing Director of Kagga & Partners Consulting Engineers, the project consultants, and the other staff of the South Sudan Audit Chamber. Reported by Simon Akol, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) Consultations on Road Transport and Safety Bill ongoing JUBA, 28 September 2011 – Consultations on the Road Transport and Safety Bill 2011 is at advanced stages to pave way for the enactment of the legislation, the Deputy Minister for Transport Hon Mayom Kuoc Malek has said. Speaking yesterday at a one-day workshop organized by the ministry at the New South Sudan Hotel to deliberate on the bill, the deputy minister said the bills have taken too long since 2008 to be enacted because of differences in views from different stakeholders. He said among these stakeholders are the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Roads and Bridges. Hon Malek stressed the importance of the bill in providing guidelines of safe road usage. He, however, acknowledged that consultations have increasingly taken place between the various stakeholders and encouraged the participants to actively engage on the discussions so as to make progress. Hon Malek addressing the participants. [Photo: Matata Safi] General Tiot of the UN police (UNMISS) said in enacting laws that will help minimize road accidents, stakeholders and lawmakers have to take into account so many aspects that contribute in one way or the other in maintaining road safety. For instance, he cited the need to involve all the necessary institutions that are involved in drawing and implementing policies of road safety. Present at the workshop were the deputy minister for Justice Hon Paulino Wanawila Unango, the deputy minister for Interior Hon Salva Mathok Gengdit and participants from the various ministries of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan Reported by Matata Safi President Kiir meets head of RSS Mission in London LONDON, 27 September 2011 - On his way back to Juba coming from New York, the President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit was briefed in London on the activities being carried out by the South Sudan Mission in London. This came in his meeting yesterday Monday September 26th, 2011 with the Republic of South Sudan Head of Mission in London Dr. Daniel Peter Othol. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Paul Akaro and the entire staff of South Sudan mission in London. President Kiir and Hon Luwilla in a meeting with staff of RSS Mission in London. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth] Shortly after the briefing, Dr. Othol said in a press statement that the mission staff members, and indeed all South Sudanese, are impressed by the comprehensive and well constructed speech delivered by the President of the Republic H.E Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23rd September 2011. H.E Kiir with the staff of RSS Mission in London. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth] Dr Othol also pointed out that the speech came at the right time when the people of South Sudan wanted to convey a message to the world about what they are and what they expected to be done by the international community. Dr. Othol urged South Sudanese to show the world that South Sudan is able to set off their development agenda so as to attract the help of the international community. H.E Kiir and the RSS Head of Mission (center) in a general photo. [Photo: Thomas Kenneth] He emphasized that the role expected to be played by the South Sudan ambassadors is to follow the speech delivered by the President and echo it to the world from time to time. He called on Southese not to leave any stone unturned especially in the fields of development, sustainable peace and stability. Reported by Thomas Kenneth from London “Houses for Africa” to build houses in South Sudan JUBA, 27 September 2011 (NASS) – Houses for Africa (HFA) in partnership with the Zimbabwean Ministry of Public Construction and National Housing has proposed a plan to build affordable houses in the Republic of South Sudan. According to Mr Edward Galante, who is the Chief Executive Officer, the HFA builds houses at USD 20,000 per house. He also explained that when they have projects in any country, the company employs the local citizens of the country after training them. He reported that this approach enables the company to complete its projects on time. Mr Galante also reported that HFA has experience on similar projects in Eastern Africa and Western United States of America. Dr Marial (left) welcomes Mr Galante (right) and the other members of the delegation. The proposal was disclosed yesterday during a meeting between the representatives of the company the Zimbabwean ambassador, and Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the minister for Information and Broadcasting who is also the Official Government Spokesperson. Dr Marial welcomed the proposal especially the USD 20,000 price tag per house. “We are fed up with the Malakia housing system and we would like to transform this environment; this company offers a feasible proposal of developing low-cost housing units”, he said. The minister also pointed out that affordable modern housing is one of the priorities set up by the President in the 100-days targets. Reported by Martin Jada, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) Ministry of Gender’s headquarters construction set to begin JUBA, 27 September 2011 (NASS) – The construction of the new headquarters of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare on Yei road is set to begin in due course, the minister Hon Agnes Lasuba has announced. Speaking in her office in Juba during the signing of the contract, the minister explained that even though the capital of the Republic of South Sudan is set to move to Ramciel, such projects which are already lined up for implementation have to proceed since they contribute to the building of the nation. The proposed headquarters. The minister thanked the Project Coordinator Mr Santino Majak and M/s Kagga Consulting Engineers for steering the project this far. She also congratulated M/s Mellech Engineering and Construction Ltd for successfully bidding for the contract. Hon Lasuba also urged all parties involved in the project to work diligently and ensure that the project achieves the best quality standards possible and is completed within the stipulated contract period, that is, before the end of 2012. The contract was signed by the ministry’s Undersecretary Ms Margaret Mathiang and the contractor’s Chief Executive Officer. The contract is funded by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) administered by the World Bank under the Gender Support Development Project. Reported by Simon Akol, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) Media bills will improve work environment for journalists JUBA, 27 September 2011 (NASS) – The work environment for journalists in the Republic of South Sudan will improve once the media bills are enacted, the Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Ustaz Mustafa Biong Majak has said. Addressing information officers today at the ministry’s headquarters, Mr Majak acknowledged that the conditions under which the journalists currently practise are challenging but expressed optimism that the situation will improve for the better when the media bills are operationalized. “I know how hard it is to practise journalism in an environment that lacks the requisite legal framework, especially for those working in the private media houses”, he said. However, he explained, that journalists working with the public media institutions and the government are protected under the public service regulations. Ms Agatha David, the Acting Director of Publications Bureau in the ministry also advised the information officers that Journalism is a challenging profession and requires commitment, dedication and single-mindedness. She said that those having divided attention cannot succeed in the profession. One of the information officers, Ms Rhoda Charles complained that most journalists working in government institutions are disdained and lack basic tools of trade. She also reported that some top government officers tongue-lashed the information officers if their events and news items are not broadcast. She urged all government officers to collaborate with the information officers to report government activities and policies. Reported by Martin Jada, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS) “Your salary will be improved”, Interior minister assures security forces JUBA, 26 September 2011 - The minister for Interior Hon Alison Manani Magaya has revealed that the issue of poor payment of the security forces especially the Police, Prison and Fire Brigade officers has been noted and is currently being addressed at the highest levels of government and will be improved in due course. The minister explained that the improvement of the salaries of the security forces will be in line with the streamlining of taxation in the country. He said that following the streamlining process, the taxes will no longer go to individual pockets through unlawful taxes but to the government’s chest managed by the Ministry of Finance Economic and Planning. “Unlawful taxation is a crime and is now prohibited because the country benefits nothing from the unlawful taxation within and at the border checkpoints”, he explained. Hon Magaya made these remarks yesterday when he and his deputy Hon Salva Mathok Gengdit visited the Fire Brigade premises in Juba. During the visit, Hon Magaya urged all the Police, Prisons and Fire Brigade officers to focus on their core function which is maintaining the rule of law and order in the country and desist from performing functions which are outside their job responsibilities. The minister explained that the purpose of the visit was to familiarize with the needs of the brigade and share ideas as the ministry embarks on the transformation of the forces seriously. “We came here to work with you hand in hand but not to distance ourselves away from each other in order to see what we can do better for the betterment of our country,” said Magaya. The minister explained that the ministry’s policy of transformation will cover all police units and will encompass training to instil professionalism, discipline and accountability to the law enforcement forces. He also reported that the screening process of manpower in the forces is ongoing and that the DDR will work together with the ministry to ensure that those who are not qualified are demobilized. Hon Magaya also assured the security forces that the ministry understands the challenges they face in the conduct of their duties. He identified one of these as illiteracy amongst the officers which he explained is attributable to the consequences of the many years of liberation struggle. He pledged that these challenges will be addressed using resources under the new budget which has been presented to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. The Deputy Minister Hon Salva Mathok Gengdit said that a good leader is one who cares for his people and always visits and shares ideas through interaction with them. “We have noticed some few problems in Fire Brigade such as over-establishment, the high number of old people in the unit and illiteracy rate which we will work to minimize”, he said. The Commissioner of Fire Brigade, Aru Mien highlighted some of the problems the brigade faces and pointed out that the budget allocated to the department is insufficient and a huge component of it is spent on salaries. He also identified the other problems as lack of equipment such as trucks, fire extinguishers, communication devices, uniform and rescues systems and asked the Ministry to address these by allocating the department a higher budget. Reported by Ater Garang Ariath -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
