Good Evening. It S 5 Pm. I Am Susan Dokolo with the Radio Miraya News
Good Evening. It’s 5 pm. I am Susan Dokolo with the Radio Miraya News.
The headlines
- IGAD experts intervene in peace talks
- Government welcomes visit of UN Security Council
- Measures put in place at Juba airport to screen travelers for Ebola
Experts from the regional IGAD grouping have intervened in peace talks between the government and the opposition.
The spokesperson of the government delegation, Michael Makuei, says the experts from IGAD member states will over the next two days speak to the negotiators about issues of good governance and reform.
Makuei says direct talks between the two parties are expected to resume on Wednesday.
Makuei: “After the presentation on the 13th, the government and the SPLM/A in opposition delegation will sit together in bilateral talks and discuss the issues. The government of South Sudan is serious. We mean to bring peace to the people of South Sudan. We are serious and actually rebels are in the same way as the government. Then definitely I can assure the people of South Sudan that peace is just around the corner. It is worth mentioning there is no way we can bring peace alone as the government without the rebels. So we are urging the rebels that we sit and negotiate in good faith and bring peace to our people in South Sudan.”
Civil society is calling on the government to give an update on the formation of a transitional government.
A 60-day deadline to form a government of national unity expired yesterday, Sunday, as peace talks continue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The deadline was set during an IGAD assembly of heads of state and government in May.
Under the peace deal, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar agreed to the establishment of a unity government as a step towards ending the conflict.
Edmund Yakani is the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, CEPO.
Yakani urges the two warring parties to inform the public.
Yakani: “The two warring parties have committed themselves before us as the citizens of the country that within the 60 days they would sort out the problem which to administer the country. But unfortunately until today, as the 60 days expired yesterday, we have not seen anything. We are calling the two parties that we are watching. As citizens we need to see them moving ahead. What can they tell us? We need to hear from them officially. What can they tell us? The 60 days have expired. What can they tell us?”
The civil society group is also calling on the UN Security Council to take a strong position for peace during their scheduled visit tomorrow.
A team from the Security Council is expected in the country tomorrow.
CEPO Director Edmund Takani says the Council members should put pressure on both the government and the opposition to end the conflict.
Yakani: “We need the Security Council to real take a strong stand to ensure that both parties are really working for peace and stability in Addis. We need to see these talks go really to an agreement. We don’t want to see these talks become the talks of the talk. Let them walk the talk for an agreement. That’s what we need the Security Council to be strong on. We don’t want to see them compromising with both warring parties. The other thing is that the Security Council is coming to Juba, the humanitarian situation is challenging and this humanitarian situation is a man-made humanitarian situation. Can the Security Council help us to really be hard on both warring parties to ensure that the humanitarian situation is improved?”
The government has welcomed the visit of the UN Security Council.
A team representing the 15 members of the Security Council is expected in the country tomorrow, to meet with President Salva Kiir and interact with women and the civil society.
Foreign Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin says the visit is an important development in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis.
Marial says the government will meet with the Council members and discuss developments in the peace process.
The Foreign Minister was speaking at Juba International Airport on arrival from a regional tour.
He explains the purpose of his trip.
Marial: “The president sent us for a visit to southern African countries and to get support from them and be able to contribute towards bringing peace being facilitated by IGAD. So I have visited the countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and after that I went to Ethiopia that is supposed to host IGAD leaders’ summit for peace, but has been postponed to allow the visit of the UN Security Council delegation to Juba tomorrow and that is a very important visit.”
Measures are being put in place to screen travelers at Juba International Airport for Ebola.
The Director of Preventive Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Pinyi Nyimol, says people entering the country will go through rigorous checks to ensure they are not carrying the disease.
Nyimol says an isolation room has also been put up at Juba Teaching Hospital for suspected cases.
Nyimol: “The national taskforce, which is comprised of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of SPLA affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and WHO. We want to set the screening table or desk at the airport to screen anybody coming from outside the country, including the nationals. They will be given a form to fill and then they will be screened through a detective device who can detect a fever. Then if there is a suspect, this suspect will be taken to Juba Teaching Hospital where there is an isolation place, and there will be ambulance on standby to carry this patient to hospital. Samples will be taken and sent for investigation.”
The Chief of Immigration at Juba International Airport, Acien Yor, confirms they have intercepted two travelers from West Africa.
Yor say a man from Sierra Leone was deported last week, while this morning a Liberian National was stopped on arrival at the airport.
Yor: “This manis UN staff. We found that he has been in Liberia, particularly in the capital Monrovia. Therefore, we stopped him for a while. We didn’t detain him because we don’t have a legal groundwhere we can detain at the airport for a long time. We just stopped him at our office and we are now doing the process of which will decide later after I contact the authorities from immigration office headquarters and Ministry of Interior.”
The Ministry of the Interior over the weekend issued an alert warning against travel to West Africa, where an outbreak has killed more than 900 people.
Travelers coming from countries affected will undergo a quarantine period of 30 days before they are allowed to mix with communities.
The Ministry has also ordered the Department of Wildlife Conservation to restrict hunting of monkeys, bats and squirrels that are known to accelerate the spread of the disease.
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The army has repulsed an attack on their position in Nassir County, Upper Nile State.
Lt Col Joseph Marier Samuel, acting spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Army, has confirmed that the SPLA base was attacked on Sunday by the opposition forces loyal to Dr Riek Machar.
He explains that the army acted in self-defense and repulsed the opposition forces.
Marier: “We have captured from them one RPG, four AKM rifles, one G3 and one G4. On our side, we have no casualties yet reported. These people are meaning to do so because whenever they see that our delegation has gone to Addis Ababa for peace talks they try by any means to destroy the ongoing peace talks. And that is why they always shell us and attack us like what happened in Nasir. The situation now is under control. We are in control of the area of Nasir.”
Radio Miraya is yet to get a response from the opposition.
Western Equatoria State has received a new High Court judge after eight months of absence of a seating judicial authority.
The arrival of William Kaya from Juba is expected to reduce the backlog of cases awaiting trial.
The Head of Legal Administration, Deng Kuot Machar, says there are more than 300 suspects on remand in state prisons.
Deng: “The number of cases awaiting the High Court judge ranges from 75 to 78 in Yambio alone, but when you go to Tambura, Mundri or Maridi there are cases waiting, if not 400 cases in the state maybe over 300 cases. But his arrival will solve what we have in Yambio main prison. What remains a challenge is lack of transport to reduce the cases in other counties.”
In regional news
The appointment of the first Muslim prime minister in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been rejected by the mainly Muslim rebel group Seleka.
A report on the BBC news agency says Mahamat Kamoun was appointed in the wake of a deal signed last month between rival militias aimed at ending more than a year of religious conflict.
He is the first Muslim prime minister in the Christian-dominated country and is to lead a transitional government.
More than half of the population is in urgent need of assistance, the UN says.
An estimated 20% of inhabitants have fled their homes in the conflict, which began as Seleka rebels seized power in March 2013.
And in sports
The South Sudan football cup got underway in Juba yesterday, with a one all draw between Malakia FC and the Dream team of Yei in the opening match.
In today’s matches, Tahrir FC of Rumbek takes on Imatong of Torit, Eastern Equatoria, at Juba stadium, while in Wau, Gazala meet Ngok FC from Abyei.
In Yambio, Western Equatoria, the Champions tournament for First Division football teams kicked off yesterday at the Yambio Freedom Square.
In the opening game, Villa United collected the first three points after beating Cobra 3 to 2.
Today Saint Mary will be tussling it out with Al Wehida at 4 pm.Six clubs are taking part in the tournament.
To end the news, the main stories once again.
- IGAD experts intervene in peace talks
- Government welcomes visit of UN Security Council
- Measures put in place at Juba airport to screen travelers for Ebola
You have been listening to Radio Miraya news. To let us know about the latest news where you live, contact us at; . I am Agole. Thanks for listening.
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