3 June 2015
Good Evening its 5 o’clock I’m Susan Dokolo
The Headlines
· Conflict stalls National Constitutional Review Commission activities
· UN Food and Agricultural agency, FAO warns against eating treated seeds
AND
· Relocation of IDPs to new site in Bentiu kicks off
The National constitutional Review Commission says the ongoing conflict has made it difficult for them to conduct business.
By the start of the conflict in 2013, the commission had started civic education and gathering views from the public for the formulation of a permanent constitution for the country.
Commission chairperson Akolda Tier says the crisis coupled with a lack of funding has forced them to suspend their work.
Clip…………………..Akolda Tier 1
“We will resume if peace comes which according to parliament up to now we have been extension of three years, and then the speculation that during this period the peace agreement may be arrive at and it will become clear really what kind of Southern Sudan we have. And the situation will also become possible for us to visit the states and talk with the people what kind of the constitution they need. There is hardly anything that the commission is doing apart from having a second look at the parts we have actually revised, the parts we have revised include the bill of rights, they include the executive, they include the legislature and the Judiciary, and these are the parts we have actually revised.
The Commission chairperson made the remarks while meeting with a national gender working group under the Umbrella of South Sudan women’s empowerment network.
The ladies from across the country want women’s issues mainstreamed in the constitution. They included members of parliament, civil society, and women from the grass roots level.
The advance team of the G10 group of former political detainees, leaves Juba today.
The delegation of 5 held discussions with President Salva Kiir in Juba and discussed the possibility of complimenting the IGAD peace mediation efforts with the Arusha intra-party peace agreement.
John Luc Jok, one of the five politicians, described their meetings as fruitful.
Clip……………….John Luc 2
“We received real commitment from all the leadership they told the president and chairman of the SPLM that take any decision that you see fit that will bring peace to the people of South Sudan. The complementarity of the two process were emphasized and there were full agreement that both processes have one objectives which is achieving peace in South Sudan, our president and Chairman of SPLM he gave his commitment all the leadership that were present gave their support to him and have authorized him to take any decision necessary that will achieve peace”
A similar message of reuniting for peace was echoed by Acting SPLM Secretary General Ann Itto.
She called on the SPLM in opposition to join hands in the name of peace.
Clip……………………Anne Itto 3
“the most important thing is we as SPLM re- unite to make sure that peace come to this country, end the war and make sure that we work towards peace, however, among the advance team it is only from the former detainees not the SPLM in Opposition, we hope this unity, this coming together would also encouraged them to put the people of South Sudan first and join hands with SPLM in Juba and SPLM former detainees so that together we become strong, put what has happened behind and work for peace in the interest of our people”
The delegation is expected to travel back to Nairobi to review progress and later meet with members of the SPLM in the opposition.
Parliament has passed the martyrs’ families fund Bill 2015 to its third reading. The bill seeks to mobilize funds for the welfare of families of people who died in the liberation struggle.
The document has been referred to the committees of gender and legislation for scrutiny and review.
This was after a section of MPs said the bill was vague in defining who a martyr is, and stating age limits for the beneficiaries.
Ajang Bior Dout is President of the United Sudan African Party, USAP.
Clip………………………………Ajang Bior Dout 4
“My concern is that we have to put a age limit. When you talk of children of martyrs and then you include Anyanya one. You know anyanya one activities is over 42 years now. So what is your definition of a child? This would include me at 70 isn’t it? So my suggestion is that we have to settle the issue of a child of a martyr”
Residents of the Nadapal border area in Eastern Equatoria are once again in disagreement with their Kenyan neighbours.
There has been a long standing border dispute between the Toposa communities of Nadapal and the Turkana of Kenya over ownership of a stretch of land in the border area.
The most recent disagreement comes after reports that Kenyan authorities have closed water supply to Nadapal.
Eastern Equatoria Governor Louis Lobong Lojore says the state government is in touch with Kenyan authorities.
Clip………………………..Louis Lobong Lojore 5
“We have raised the issue with the national government and the government in Juba. We have even sent a delegation to talk to the Kenyan government to allow local people graze and access water points. The people who are not happy are the locals, not the government of South Sudan; It is the locals who think they are being prevented by the authorities of Kenya to go to the water points, but our relationship with Kenya and the government at the border is OK.”
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The Commissioner of Panyijar County in Unity State is working with commissioners in Lakes state to deal with cross border cattle raids.
William Nyuon Jok has been based in Rumbek for the past 3 months to monitor and address cross border issues.
Nyuon Jok says he is in discussions with the commissioners of Rumbek East, Rumbek Center and Yirol East to find ways of ensuring peaceful co-existence.
Clip………………..William Nyuon Jok 6
“What I am telling Lakes State community in generally to cooperate with Unity State. This cooperation is good, we are now trying we the commissioners at the border here Rumbek North, Rumbek Centre, Rumbek East, Yirol East, Panyijiir and Mayiendit. We wanted to have cooperation so that civilians shall resume their peaceful co-existence of sharing torch or grassing land for the animals and we don’t want sabotage in their in the middle, we treated those thefts of the cattle separated and we will not compromised or support them a total.”
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, has warned communities to avoid eating seeds distributed for planting.
James Guma from FAO says seeds distributed to farmers and households are often treated with chemicals to help plants grow that can be harmful if eaten by humans.
Roll clip……………………James Guma 7
“Our concern is the chemicals that are used for treating these seeds, they are very harmful to human consumption. But usually with our seeds when we package them and we send them for distribution, they are clearly labelled, indicating that it’s harmful for consumption, human consumptions. So we are really concerned about this report, we want to advise our farmers, these seeds are meant for planting. Not for consumptions, they are dangerous for our health.”
The relocation of more than 60 thousand people living within the UN Protection of Civilians site in Bentui has begun.
The IDPs will be moved to a new area located on higher ground to safeguard them from flooding during the rainy season.
UNMISS spokesperson, Arianne Quentier, says the relocation has begun on a small scale but will be expanded by the end of this week.
She says the new site will provide better sanitation facilities for the IDPs.
CLIP……………………… Arianne Quentier 8
“Clearly it will improve their lives because when the rainy season is going to really kick in they are not going to be flooded the way they were flooded last year. There is no flooding, there is no stagnant water and this is not only a matter of not having your feet in the mud which is bad enough but it is also stagnant water means killer diseases such as malaria, such as cholera and so moving those civilians to higher ground will clearly and drastically improve their health conditions.”
More than 30 public prosecutors have completed a four day training course aimed at improving investigation, monitoring and reporting on human rights violations.
The training, organized by the ministry of Justice, the UN Development Programme and UNMISS brought together 32 prosecutors from all 10 states of South Sudan.
Speaking at the closing of the course, Stephen Kang, Director for Human Rights, Legal Aid and International Conventions and Treaties encouraged the participants to use their new skills to report on the human rights commitments made in the treaties South Sudan is signatory to.
South Sudan has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention Against Torture, as well as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
And, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is making his first foreign trip - to Niger - since taking office last week.
Media reports say he is expected to discuss the regional offensive against Boko Haram militants with Nigeria's northern neighbour.
Niger, Chad and Cameroon have been helping Nigeria recapture territory from the insurgents, who Mr Buhari has described as "mindless" and "godless".
At his inauguration, Mr Buahri vowed that he would tackle "head on" the six-year Islamist insurgency.
In sports, the cobra volleyball team has left this morning for Rwanda to participate in the Rwanda genocide memorial tournament, scheduled for 06th and 07th June.
The two day competition has attracted teams from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania.
From Rwanda, the Cobra Volleyball team will proceed to Kampala to participate in the Dr. Aporu Akol volleyball championship, scheduled to begin on 10th June.
To end the news, here are the headlines once again
· Conflict stalls National Constitutional Review Commission activities
· UN Food and Agricultural agency, FAO warns against eating treated seeds
AND
· Relocation of IDPs to new site in Bentiu kicks off
And that’s Radio Miraya News.
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