NEWS SUMMARY SCRIPT



Radio Miraya News Bulletin Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Good afternoon, its 1 o’clock. I am Susan Dokolo with the Radio Miraya News.

The Headlines:

• Scholar proposes amendment of constitution to allow extension of tenure of current government

• SPLA assess damage caused by latest fighting near Bentiu in Unity State

• Lakes State Governor urges newly appointed commissioners to restore the rule of law

As the government prepares to hold elections in June, questions are being raised about the country’s readiness for the vote.

Luka Biong, a leading scholar and Director of Centre for Peace and Development Studies at University of Juba, proposes the elections be postponed on account of the current crisis and time constraints.

Biong suggests the government seeks an amendment of the constitution through Parliament to extend the mandate of the current government beyond 9th July, when its term of office expires.

Biong: “For me this is the easiest way. It is clear now that all the political parties have submitted in and have said, look, we are better off not having elections now. Let them be postponed and the environment is not conducive for the conduct the elections. And I think it would be appropriate and even easier for the government to initiate a process of amending the constitution and to consult with the civil society and the political parties to see what is the appropriate time for the extension of elections, and that is feasible. It is the easiest and simplest thing that we can do if there is a consensus in the country around this issue of the postponement of elections.”

Speaking on proposals for a transitional government, Luka Biong says any agreement signed between the government and the opposition will prevail.

He says postponing the vote would also prevent a duplication of the election process.

Luka: “It would be a duplication of the process of elections, because you would have conducted elections and then maybe people would agree, and then within 30 months we would have another election. So we would avoid this. If the focus is the legitimacy of the government, I think it is absolutely important this legitimacy must be maintained and can only be maintained by having an amendment of the constitution so we avoid this overlapping and duplication of these activities of elections.”

The SPLA is assessing damage caused by latest fighting on its position near Bentiu in Unity State. 

Army Spokesperson Col Phillip Aguer says the SPLA is counting losses and destruction on the army base located 10 kms north of Bentiu.

Aguer says the fighting which broke out in the military base on Monday has stopped.

Aguer: “The situation is calm and no reports on new clashes in the area. The last violation was in a base in the oil production area north of Bentiu town 10 kilometers w away, in the area which witnessed a ceasefire violation. In the last 72 hours the situation in the area is calm.”

The SPLA accuses opposition forces of Riek Machar of carrying out the attack. 

The opposition is yet to respond to the accusations.

The Bureau for Community Security and Small Arms Control in the Ministry of Interior says the ministry is working on a policy and regulations on small arms.

The deputy director for security research and analysis, John Chiek Bum, says the ministry has established a national strategy on civil disarmament.

Chiek says proper stockpile management for state-owned weapons is needed and that strict license procedures should be put in place.

Speaking on the Miraya Breakfast Show this morning, the director stressed that the presence of guns in the hands of people is causing insecurity. 

Bum: “This issue of small arms is not a short-term, it not a medium-term, is a long-term program. It is a program I would like to say we need. The whole country to take it as a national program because if we don’t take it as a national program that needs all the support from the high-profile political figures in the country down to the normal civilians, we will not be able to control arms in a short term. Why? Because as I told you some of them are using guns, for example at communal level, some of them are using guns for revenge killing, for prestige, for dowry getting, you name then. When it comes at the national level some of them are using them for their political ambition.”

The Central Equatoria State Legislative assembly has referred the names of the newly appointed cabinet ministers to the assembly’s committee of legal affairs.

The committee has been given two days to scrutinize the credentials of the appointees.

The state Legislative Assembly was recalled from recess to consider the appointments.

Radio Miraya reporter Sworo Charles Elisha attended the extraordinary sitting and now reports.

Sworo’s Report: The new appointments announced by the state Governor on the 31st of December brought on new faces and reshuffled key ministers. Members of the seven-man legal affairs committee will now sit and examine their qualifications, work experience, age, gender representation and integrity. The names have been presented to the State Assembly for vetting before they can assume office.  Jacob Aligo Lo-Ladu, a Member of Parliament representing Yei, notes that frequent dismissals and shakeups in the state government have financial implications to the state coffers.

Aligo: “To me we have a bit of problem in relieving and appointing members of the executives and I hope this should be the last mistake that is to be committed. All along since 2010 we have been having constant dissolution of government. First of all by dissolving the government, it has monetary implications on the state.  They were appointed in September 2013 and they were dissolved in December 2014. Legally they are supposed to be paid two years post service benefits. I was in the cabinet. I was relieved in three years plus but now I deserve to be paid for five years. So this thing really has to be changed.”

The Chairperson of Information in the State Assembly, Modi Lomindi, says the period of vetting the ministers has been reduced from seven to two days to reduce on the vacuum period.

Lomindi: “In fact, because of the vacuum which has been created through the relieve of the entire cabinet we take it as a serious concern that we don’t need to delay and leave the Governor to have only this responsibility in the state. Because we the citizens of Central Equatoria need to get services and so we decided to take it as an emergency that we take two days in vetting the ministers.”

The State Assembly is expected to endorse the Sate Cabinet on Thursday this week.

I am Sworo Charles Elisha Charles Elisha reporting for Radio Miraya News.

In Lakes State, the newly appointed commissioners of Rumbek East and Yirol West counties have been directed to restore the rule of law in their respective counties. 

Caretaker governor Matur Chut Dhuol, told Martin Matian Anyuonic and George Kwac Dhieu to stop cattle raiding and end inter-communal conflicts in Rumbek East and Yirol West counties respectively. 

The Governor made the comments as the two commissioners were sworn into office. 

Matian Anyuonic said dealing with insecurity is one of his main priorities.

Anyuonic: “First I am going to clear up the roads and subside the cattle raiding. These are two major problems that I am going to attempt. Peace is the third. I don’t want somebody to be between me and my goals. That is the message and I have nothing to say. When I go to the field that is where I can talk more. There is nobody to collaborate with me in the crimes. But I agree with people in the development and in peace. We agree in bringing peace, stop killing, cattle raids and ambushes on the roads that is all.

George Kwac Dhieu, Commissioner of Yirol west said he will work on opening up secure road networks linking Yirol to the rest of the country.

Dhieu: “First of all, we are going to open the roads because roads do not belong to Lakes State. Roads belong to somebody who is travelling from where he starts, and where he is going. That is the first priority that we are going to do to is open the roads to all of us, to open the roads to our neighours, to open to our state when we accepted peace. I don’t think that our communities will disobey what we are going to do and my appeal is that if we are working together without favoritism, without nepotism, we shall bring peace between Yirol West and Rumbek East.

The two commissioners were appointed in a cabinet reshuffle announced by the Caretaker Governor last week.

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A chief in Jur River County of Western Bahr el Ghazal State has been arrested for allegedly encouraging insecurity in the area.

Jur County Commissioner Simon Atuai says Chief Uyu of Kangi Payam is believed to have mobilized youth to cause insecurity.

This follows a recent revenge attack that led to the death of the executive chief of Kangi Payam.

Commissioner Atuai says Chief Uyu ran into the bush with the youths and has not been cooperating with security organs.

Atuai: “Police were sent from Wau at the same time when the chief was killed, but Chief Uyu did not cooperate with police. He preferred to run to hide in the bush with the youth. After my appointment as a commissioner, I decided to go the area because there was chaos in the area. Houses were burnt and agricultural products were burnt. In my presence Chief Uyu appeared, we posed to him some questions, but he did not cooperate with us, like he did not cooperate with police. We decided to arrest him.”

Authorities in Malakal, Upper Nile State, are working on improving services for people in Malakal town.

The town mayor, Abdallah Jago, says there are an estimated 30,000 people in Malakal town. 

Jago says work is underway to improve sanitary and hygiene services and provide clean water to communities within the town. Abdallah:

“We in Malakal municipality are trying to socially re-coordinate between the communities. Our program in 2015; in services we are set to provide sanitation and hygiene services for Malakal town and get clean water tanks for Malakal urban areas. Up to date we have more than 30,000 people inside Malakal town.”

And in regional news

United Nations peacekeepers and the Congolese army are preparing to launch a military offensive against rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Rwandan Hutu rebels known as the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR have missed a January 2nd deadline to unconditionally surrender.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says the UN Mission and the Congolese Army have developed a joint military plan for operations against the rebel group.

Dujarric: "Taking into account the disperse nature of the FDLR and its immersion in the local situation it will take time to achieve the results that we want. And various tactics will be used which may not necessarily lead to the immediate or large-scale blows to the armed groups. I think we have drawn lessons from previous operations against the group, including those that involved a significant number of Rwandan soldiers, in 2009. Military operations have a potential to weaken, as I said, but not to eliminate the FDLR and the military solution needs to be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes a number of non-military steps."

Leaders and members of the FDLR were among the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

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

• Scholar proposes amendment of constitution to allow extension of tenure of current government

• SPLA assess damage caused by latest fighting near Bentiu in Unity State

• Lakes State Governor urges newly appointed commissioners to restore the rule of law.

I am Susan Dokolo. Thank you for listening.

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