South Sudan: Teachers in Central Equatoria on strike

This is the second time in the last six months that the teachers in Central Equatoria state have gone on strike because of non-payment of salaries.

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, December 2, 2009:

(Juba) – Teachers in Central Equatoria state are continuing their strike action, demanding two months of unpaid wages from the Government of Southern Sudan.

The teachers’ representative, Rev Daniel Swaka, told SRS that the state government had paid them salaries for the month of September and had promised to pay the remaining salaries by October.

However, the state director in the Ministry of Education, David Lowela, said that the government had never promised to pay the teachers in October.

[David Lowela]: “Teachers in other counties have not been paid their salaries for September. We want this salary to be paid to teachers in the remaining five counties. Central Equatoria state has six counties altogether and only teachers in Juba county and in the state education department have been paid. So the minister is urging them to accept their September salaries and wait until teachers in the other counties are paid for the month of September and then the October salary will be given to all the teachers in the state at once.”

This is the second time in the last six months that the teachers in Central Equatoria state have gone on strike because of non-payment of salaries.

South Sudan: Teachers in Juba on strike

Before reading the following report from Sudan Radio Service, note this excerpt from Alex de Waal's blog post at Making Sense of Darfur, November 22, 2009:

I hope that for the sake of the many thousands of Sudanese civil servants who depend on a timely salary payment to be able to celebrate the Eid properly, that the Sudan Government finds a way to pay its bills, in the few days left before the holiday. Equally, it must do so for the sake of the CPA.

And read the full story titled Unhappy Eid for the CPA.
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Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, November 25, 2009:

(Juba) - Teachers in Juba county in Central Equatoria state are on strike because they haven’t received their salaries for the last two months.

The teachers are demanding that their salaries for September and October 2009 should be paid immediately.

The teachers’ representative, the headmaster of Juba Day Secondary School, Daniel Swaka, told Sudan Radio Service that the government has promised to pay the salaries within a week.

[Swaka Daniel]: “We were requested to go to the ministry yesterday by the director-general of education in Central Equatoria state and he told us that they had started to pay the salaries. It transpired to be one month’s salary which some of us started to receive yesterday and the second salary of October is not out yet. The director-general met the acting governor yesterday and they promised that they will pay the remaining salaries within seven days.”

This is the second time teachers’ salary payments have been delayed in Central Equatoria state since the beginning of the year.

Sudan Radio Service's website is being redesigned and will be back online very soon.

South Sudan: NCP has accused SPLM of arresting NCP leaders in Central Equatoria, Warrap and Lakes states

Untitled report by Sudan Radio Service, November 23, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The secretary-general of the National Congress Party for Greater Bahr el-Ghazal, Mathew Mayor, has accused the SPLM of arresting NCP leaders in Central Equatoria, Warrap and Lakes states.

[Mathew Mayor]: “The SPLM is arresting our members there. The arrests were carried out in a racial manner. The head of the southern sector, Mrs. Agnes Lokudu, presented a strong protest to the southern Sudan government, urging them to review the situation as soon as possible.”

Mayor urged politicians not to do things that would disrupt the voter registration process because it would affect the implementation of the CPA.

[Mathew Mayor]: “The parties which are not ready [for the elections] think that other parties which are ready want to disrupt the conduct of the elections. We think they are targeting the referendum in southern Sudan because Article 22 of the CPA says that only an elected government can organize the referendum and if elections were not carried out, it means there will be no elected government, hence no referendum will be held as scheduled. This will really affect the south in general.”

Mathew Mayor was speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Khartoum on Sunday.

Shooting of South Sudan Minister prompts detachment of local administration (Update 1)

Note that news reports at the website of Sudan Radio Service (SRS) have disappeared due to technical problems. Here is an untitled news report, received by email, from SRS

Thursday, November 19, 2009 (Lainya) - Police are investigating the attack on the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the Government of Southern Sudan, Dr. Samson Kwaje, in Lainya County, Central Equatoria state.

Doctor Kwaje’s convoy was ambushed on Tuesday by unknown gunmen as he was on his way to Juba.

Five people were killed and seven others wounded, including the minister, who was shot in the arm.

The Lainya County Commissioner, Suba Samuel Manase, speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday, said some local police officers were arrested because they had not provided adequate security for the minister.

[Suba Samuel Manase]: “The police who were in the stations were all arrested and taken to prison in Juba. Those in the payam are all taken, they are around ten. There are also a few individuals who are accused and they were also arrested. They are in the police station to answer questions. They were not arrested because they conducted the attack but it is for questioning purposes; to find out what information they may have about the attack.”

Commissioner Juba Samuel said that if the four civilians arrested are found with information linking them with the ambush, they will also be taken to Juba.

Samuel said the ambush has provoked fear among civilians, forcing them to evacuate their areas and go to Lainya town.

[Suba Samuel Manase]: “The situation is calm but yesterday we started receiving women and children from the area of the attack. When we asked them they said that since the army pulled out they now fear that the attackers may turn against them. Fear and uncertainty, that is why they left their homes. We sent the army to rescue the minister and when their mission was completed, they pulled out from the area. Some of the people think the army should remain there to provide security.”

The commissioner of Lainya county, Suba Samuel Manase, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday.

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Related news report from Sudan Tribune, Friday, November 20, 2009:
Shooting of South Sudan minister prompts detachment of local administration

November 19, 2009 (JUBA) – The state authority of Central Equatoria has resolved to detach from Juba County administration a local Payam administration following the shooting of a Southern Sudan minister in the area.

The minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Samson Kwaje, was shot on his right shoulder on Sunday as his vehicle in the convoy fell under attack in Wanduruba Payam of Juba County on his way to a neighboring Lainya County.

The ambush left four people dead and five others wounded including the minister.

In an emergency Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, Central Equatoria state cabinet resolved to temporarily detach Wanduruba Payam from Juba County administration until the issues that led to the incidence are resolved.

Governor Clement Wani Konga to that effect has issued a decree detaching Wanduruba Payam administration and attaching it directly to the office of the Governor.

The decree explained that the cause of the incidence was a result of power wrangling among politicians in the area, particularly over the dispute of whether or not Wanduruba Payam should remain under Juba County or be annexed to Lainya County.

It revealed that Dr. Samson Kwaje, a Pojulu by tribe, had earlier appealed to the National Elections Commission (NEC) to instead attach Wanduruba Payam to Lainya County in the delimitations of the geographical constituencies.

Some politicians in Juba County especially in the local payam administration are against the move by the minister.

The area is mostly inhabited by Pojulu ethnic group who identify themselves with their community in Lainya County.

The state authorities have pledged to find a peaceful and amicable solution to the dispute in the area. (ST)

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UPDATE on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 17:00 PM GMT UK

A news report has just arrived in by email from Sudan Radio Service. Note that its website is still experiencing technical difficulties, no news reports are accessible online. Here is a copy, untitled:

20 November 2009 - (Khartoum) - The Governor of Central Equatoria state, Clement Wani Kong’a, has issued a decree directing that Wonduruba payam be detached from Juba county and administered from his office.

Decree number 12/2009 states that Wonduruba shall remain under the tutelage of the Governor’s office until a referendum is held.

Dated November 18,it also appointed an administrator, Anthony Loki, from the CES Ministry of Local Government, as the payam administrator for Wonduruba.

The decree was issued days after the GOSS Minister of Agriculture was attacked by unidentified gunmen between Wonduruba and Juba.

There has been a dispute between politicians on whether to incorporate Wonduruba into the Lainya North constituency or whether it should remain under the jurisdiction of Juba West.

South Sudan Gov't Minister Samson Kwaje shot by unknown gunmen in Lainya, Central Equatoria

Government of Southern Sudan Minister of Agriculture, Samson Kwaje happens to be one of the politicians that thinks that Ounduruba should be in Lainya county. That is the reason why he was attacked by those who want Lainya to be in Juba county.

From Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 16 November 2009:
Minister Attacked in Central Equatoria

(Nairobi, Kenya) - The GOSS Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Samson Kwaje, has been flown to Nairobi for emergency treatment after he was shot at by unknown gunmen in Lainya county on Sunday.

The minister’s car was ambushed on his way to Juba from Lainya. Four people were killed in the incident.

The commissioner of Lainya, Suba Samuel Manase, spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday from Lainya.

[Suba Samuel Manase]: “The incident happened yesterday around five. He was on a tour to meet the people to encourage them to participate in the voter registration process. All of a sudden, a group of civilians attacked his car. Four people were killed and then the minister himself got injured in the right arm. The bullet went through the flesh but there is no confirmation of bone fracture.”

Suba said that the incident was provoked by a dispute about constituency demarcation.

[Suba Samuel Manase]: “It's an issue which concerns Ounduruba payam which is said to belong to either Juba county or to Lainya county. Administratively, Ounduruba is assumed to be in Juba county. But after the recent constituencies demarcation, the National Election Commotion decided that Ounduruba should become a constituency of Lainya county. So that provoked the whole situation. Samson Kwaje happens to be one of the politicians that thinks that Ounduruba should be in Lainya county. That is the reason why he was attacked by those who want Lainya to be in Juba county.”

The commissioner said that the situation in Lainya and Ounduruba has returned to normal as the police and military are in control of the area.

South Sudan: 47 LRA rebels surrender in Yei, Central Equatoria

From Sudan Radio Service, 03 November 2009:
LRA rebels surrender in Yei

(Yei) - More than forty Ugandan rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army surrendered to authorities in Yei county, Central Equatoria state last week.

The Commissioner of Yei county, David Lokonga confirmed that pockets of LRA rebels have been handing themselves in since September this year.

[David lokonga 1 -Eng/Arabic]: “Starting from September 22nd, some of the L-R-A have surrendered themselves to the authority of Yei county. On October 7th, some of the rebels including two officers surrender themselves to us, on October 22nd some more LRA surrender themselves again. The last group surrender themselves on October 30th including the wife of their commander called Arob. This means the number of the LRA soldiers that have handed themselves to Yei county is forty seven. We would like to urge the rest of the remaining rebels in the LRA who are still in the forest to emulate their colleagues and end theses atrocities.”

Lokong’a added that most of the LRA soldiers who surrendered expressed frustration and exhaustion over their movement’s unclear vision and activities.

He said the arrested LRA who have surrendered will be handed over to their respective communities.

[David lokong’a 2 -Eng/Arabic]: “We and the Uganda government have agreed to hand over these people to their communities. After they surrendered themselves to the SPLA and the UPDF, I will then hand the Ugandans over to Ugandan government and the Sudanese will remain with me. We have some from Wonduruba and we have handed them to their community.”

That was the commissioner of Yei County, David Lokonga talking to Sudan radio service from Yei on Tuesday.

Oct. 3-5 - At least 23 people killed, 21 injured in cattle raids between Mundari and Dinka Bor in two Central Equatoria State villages near Juba

Dinka and Mundari tribesmen clashed throughout the weekend in two Central Equatoria State villages near the southern capital of Juba, Hussein Mar.  At least 23 people were killed,  including six civilians and four soldiers, 21 injured and more than a thousand fled their homes.

More than 2,000 people have died and 250,000 been displaced in inter-tribal violence across the south since January, according to the United Nations, with the rate of violent deaths now exceeding that of war-torn Darfur in west Sudan.

The remote and marshy Jonglei state, where French oil giant Total (TOTF.PA) holds a massive, mainly unexplored concession, has been particularly hard hit by cattle raiding and related killings that have fractured communities along ethnic lines.

Source:  Report from Cairo, Egypt (AFP) ‎Oct 3, 2009
South Sudan tribal clashes leave 23 dead

At least 23 people were killed and more than a thousand fled their homes in ethnic clashes in volatile south Sudan over the weekend, a Sudanese official said on Monday.

Dinka and Mundari tribesmen clashed throughout the weekend in two Central Equatoria State villages near the southern capital of Juba, Hussein Mar, deputy governor of neighbouring Jonglei state, told AFP.

"The violence killed at least 23 people, including six civilians and four soldiers," he said, adding that 1,700 had been displaced in the fighting.

Parts of the Christian and animist south have been rocked by ethnic violence over the past year.

More than 2,000 people have died and 250,000 been displaced in inter-tribal violence across the south since January, according to the United Nations, with the rate of violent deaths now exceeding that of war-torn Darfur in west Sudan.

Clashes between rival ethnic groups in southern Sudan erupt frequently -- often sparked by cattle rustling and disputes over natural resources, while others are in retaliation for previous attacks.

However, a wave of recent raids has shocked many, with an apparent sharp rise in attacks on women and children and the targeting of homesteads.

Sixteen people were killed on Saturday in clashes between forces loyal to an ex-warlord and the governor's guards in oil-rich Unity State.

Last month, more than 100 people were killed in several days of clashes in the troubled Jonglei state.

Southern officials have accused Khartoum of arming some ethnic groups, an accusation Sudan's government denies.

North-south tensions remain high, with the country still divided by the religious, ethnic and ideological differences that fuelled a 22-year civil war which ended in a 2005 peace deal.

Under that deal, the south has a six-year transitional period of regional autonomy and takes part in a unity government until a 2011 referendum on self-determination.

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TIMELINE-Violence spirals in south Sudan

Oct 5, 2009 (Reuters) - South Sudan's president has blamed the military in the north for an escalation in violence in his semi-autonomous region emerging from decades of civil war, a southern official said on Monday.

More than 1,200 people have been killed by ethnic fighting this year, fuelled by a huge supply of weapons left over from over two decades of north-south war that ended with a 2005 peace deal, now faltering. Khartoum denies any involvement in the escalation in violence.

The north armed proxy militias in south Sudan during the war to intensify divisions.

The remote and marshy Jonglei state, where French oil giant Total (TOTF.PA) holds a massive, mainly unexplored concession, has been particularly hard hit by cattle raiding and related killings that have fractured communities along ethnic lines.

Here are details of some of the worst fighting:

MARCH 5-13 - At least 453 people, mainly women and children, are killed in attacks by the Lou Nuer tribe on at least 17 villages of the rival Murle ethnic group in Jonglei. The Lou Nuer say the incidents were retaliation for large-scale cattle raiding and attacks on Lou Nuer villages in January.

APRIL 18-19 - At least 177 people are killed in attacks on 16 villages of the Lou Nuer tribe by Murle fighters. Women and children are targeted in what are widely seen as revenge attacks for the March violence.

JUNE 12 - Jikany Nuer, like the Lou a sub-group of the large Nuer tribe, attack barges carrying U.N. food aid on the Sobat River to Lou Nuer areas in Jonglei. At least 40 southern soldiers and boat crew are killed.

AUG. 2 - Murle attack a Lou Nuer fishing settlement near Akobo town in Jonglei State, killing 185 people. Southern soldiers guarding the camp are also killed.

AUG. 28 - Around 800 Lou Nuer attack Wernyol, a Dinka Bor village in Jonglei State, killing 38 and wounding 76. The south's army said this was the work of a Lou Nuer militia, adding that a Murle militia also exists.

SEPT. 20 - A large group of fighters from the Lou Nuer ethnic group attack Duk Padiet village, inhabited by the Dinka Hol tribe, in Jonglei. More than 100 people are killed.

OCT. 3-5 - At least 23 people are killed and 21 injured in tit-for-tat cattle raids between the Mundari and Dinka Bor tribes, the deputy governor of Jonglei state says.

Mundari – Bor clashes kill scores, enter third day

Sudan Tribune - ‎5 October 2009:

October 4, 2009 (MAGALA, Central Equatoria) — Initial casualties of Mundari and Dinka Bor fierce clashes left scores of people dead on both sides and ...