NEWS BULLETIN SCRIPT / Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Good afternoon, its 1 o’clock. I’m David Lukan.

The Headlines

·  Former political detainees to return home within 45 days

·  National Ministry of Education and partners to launch “Back to learning” campaign tomorrow

·  Journalists in Warrap State receive training in cinematography


Members of Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi party and South Africa’s Africa National Congress Party are to start consultations to prepare for the return of the former political detainees of the SPLM party.

The two parties, considered guarantors of the re-unification agreement signed in Arusha last month will oversee and support the different phases of the reunification.

Spokesperson for the Arusha SPLM Intra Party dialogue Akol Paul says all former SPLM members who left the country as a result of the current conflict will return home within 45 days.

Akol: “They will carry the consultations with our leadership forward on how to make preparations of the former SPLM detainees, and former SPL- in-Opposition members of the tripartite. And what we are left with is the necessary technical measures and decisions to complete the process of re-unification. The second thing that we are going to address is the security and protection of the returning component of the members of the former two groups. All the comrades that left the country as the result of the conflict have to come home within 45 days from the signing of this agreement.”

The Council of Ministers has approved 12 million pounds for the repair of the Juba- Nimule road.

A separate amount of 1 million US dollars has also been approved for the maintenance of Juba Bridge.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary cabinet meeting called on Tuesday.

Here is Government SpokespersonMichael Makuei.

Makuei: “The cabinet found that it is necessary to maintain this road and bridge. So it was decided … the cabinet approved a sum of 12 million South Sudanese Pounds for the maintenance of the Juba-Nimule road and a sum of 1,567,218 dollars for the maintenance and repair of Juba Bridge. “

Participants at a national peace conference have been asked to come up with tangible resolutions which can bring peace to the country.

The conference, attended by representatives from all 64 tribes, opened at the Nyakuron Cultural Center in Juba.

Speaking at the opening, Central Equatoria State Governor Clement Wani Konga says the resolutions should strengthen ongoing peace efforts.

We voiced over the audio due to poor quality.

Konga: “it’s our hope that the conference will bring about a resolution which will enhance the peace process in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Considering the current suffering the country has undergone, the efforts of bringing peace now can’t be over emphasized and that is why we need peace now. We need peace now in order to enhance our unity, diversity and strengthen our national discourse.”

The campaign to send South Sudanese children to school will be launched tomorrow.

The Back to Learning Campaign, a joint initiative between development partners and the Ministry of Education aims to encourage more children to go to school.

George Ali, Director for Development Partners at the Ministry of Education, says the campaign will also be launched even in the conflict-affected areas.

Ali: “We are partners. We said we will do the campaign so that we target these children, so that we will be allowing them to go to school. And the president will be giving the message very clearly tomorrow. Because leadership is for these children who are going to be our leaders tomorrow. And we are concerned that everybody, whether in areas where there is crisis, greater Upper Nile, or it is in the areas where there is influx of children, they need to be in school.”

You are listening to Radio Miraya News

Households that were damaged during a demining exercise in Bor, Jonglei State, have received compensation.

Each household has received compensation of nearly 3,000 pounds from Dan Church Aid, the organization that carried out the mine deactivation.

Fifteen homes in Makol Chui Boma accidentally caught fire during the mine deactivation exercise in December last year.

James Jok, the Coordinator of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Bor County says the households that received the cash will be required to drop legal petitions they had filed against the organization.

Jok: “The case has to be officially dropped because compensation is done. Two thousand seven hundred ninety SSP per house, the total amount per 15 houses, plus one of the gentlemen who lost his license in the house sums up to the total amount of 42,350 SSP”.

Journalists in Warrap State are attending training in cinematography and audio editing.

Twenty reporters are attending the 10-day training exercise to sharpen their skills.

Warrap State Information Minister Paul Dhel Gum says the state is building its capacity as it prepares to launch a state television station next year.

Gum: “After a series of assessments of their skills, the ministry decided to conduct a very scientific modern training that is now currently going on now in Kuacjok town, and it will last for 10 days. The training is targeting camera personnel on cinematography, and reporting systems to our reporters. This one will enhance the skills and the capacity of our journalists in the state so that they carry out their work efficiently and effectively as compared to the people who are working on national television.”

In foreign news

The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has called for a United Nations resolution allowing international forces to intervene in Libya.

He told French Radio there was no other choice, and that Egypt will not allow ISIS to cut off the heads of its people.

Egyptian jets bombed ISIS targets on Monday in response to a militant video of the apparent beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians.

The country has two rival governments - one based in Tripoli, the other in Tobruk.

Mr Sisi called for weapons to be made available to Libya's internationally recognized government, which fled to Tobruk after rival militias seized power in the capital.

And onto sports

The state minister of youth and sports, Western Bahr El Ghazal State, Rodalf Andrea, has urged team members of Gazala FC to maintain the training spirit in order to correct any mistakes ahead of the team’s match against Petro Jet of Cairo in the African confederation Cup.

The minister gave this advice while visiting the team on Tuesday.

Andrea: “I, as the Minister of Youth and Sports in the state am very happy with the performance I have seen and that was what I told you last time at Wau stadium when I told you I am afraid of the teams standard. But in the last training season I told you that the standard and team performance has changed. I am very confidentof this team in front of me. This is what I have told you at Wau stadium. Honestly,we are very happy for the standard of the teamand we think this is a good and strong starting. I will not say much but I will talk to you in other moments. Once again, I am very confidentof this team in front of me.”

Gazala FC of Wau will travel next week to Cairo for the second league match against Petro Jet FC in the African Confederation Cup.

And in local football tournaments, Villa United FC qualified to the final match of George Costa tournament after beating Yambio Stars 2-1 last evening at the Budwaye Stadium.

In the ongoing Division One football tournament in Abyei, Tahrir and Shuwan Ayak ended their match in a 2 all draw at Agok playground. And in Division One tournament in Bentui, Unity State, Black Stars topped the league with 17 points after a 5-1 victory over Kir Thon. While Fangok and Wangok ended their match in a 2 all draw.

In Division Two competitions, Nile City FC defeats Nujum Catholic 1 nil last evening.

In today’s matches, Makongo FC faces Super Stars in the qualifiers tournament in Yambio, while in Abyei, the leading Agrab FC takes on Mustagbal at Agok playground. And in Division One tournament in Bantew, Fankuel is playing against Afong Beak.

To end the news, here are the headlines once again.

·  Former political detainees to return home within 45 days

·  National Ministry of Education and partners to launch “Back to learning” campaign tomorrow

·  Journalists in Warrap State receive training in cinematography

And that’s Radio Miraya news!

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