NEWSLINE

Displaced Abyei Residents Returning Home Residents of the disputed Abyei area who were displaced into South Sudan during last year’s incursion by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have started returning to their residences. 22 June 2012 - Jerry UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in South Sudan Lise Grande at a past press conference in Juba. [Gurtong Waakhe]   JUBA, 22 June 2012 [Gurtong] - A statement by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs indicated that a total of 8,936 displaced persons have so far returned home and are said to be coping with the situation on the ground.   The statement added that humanitarian partners are also planning the return of 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to Abyei in the next three months, adding that water and food is one of the challenges on the ground though agencies are scaling up efforts to avert a critical situation.   Humanitarian agencies have also started the delivery of

The Eastern Equatoria State government has handed over its donation to support the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA. 21 June 2012 The Greater Kapoeta community donated livestock to support the SPLA in defending South Sudan. [Gurtong/] TORIT, 21 June 2012 [Gurtong] – The event held on Monday at Gumbo in Juba saw the state leadership hand over money, food and non-food items to the National Resource Mobilisation Committee to support the South Sudanese army currently defending the country from external aggression. The team led by the State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore comprised the chairperson of the State High Committee for Resource Mobilisation who is also the State Legislative Assembly Speaker Emmanuel Ambrose Ocholimoi and all County Commissioners. The officials handed over 400,000 South Sudanese Pounds, more than 400 bulls, 2 camels, over 200 goats and assorted food and non-food items including bags of sorghum, maize, flour, rice, bis

Government Rallies Residents to Tackle Food Insecurity Northern Bahr el Ghazal State residents have been urged to engage in agricultural production in a bid to tackle an imminent food crisis. 21 June 2012 Groundnuts  plantation in Akuem village, Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State [Gurtong] AWEIL, 21 June 2012 [Gurtong] – The State Governor Paul Malong has advised the state residents to remain in the rural areas and engage in agriculture instead of migrating to urban centres. “Let’s stop loitering around towns during the rainy season. I urge the youth to get back to the rural areas and cultivate their farms instead of spending most of their leisure times in local clubs playing cards”, said Malong when he addressed the official re-opening of the State Legislative Assembly last Friday. He appealed to the state legislators to join the citizenry in efforts to eradicate hunger in the state. “I will soon embark on a campaign to create awareness o

South Sudan’s 6.4 Billion Budget Tabled The South Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Kosti Manibe Ngai has presented the 6.4 billion South Sudanese Pounds 2012/13 budget before the national assembly. 20 June 2012 The South Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Kosti Manibe Ngai presents the 2012/13 budget before the national assembly. [Gurtong] JUBA, 20 June 2012 [Gurtong] - Dubbed the ‘austerity budget’, the Minister said the budget objectively targets orderly reduction of expenditure while providing basic services and maintaining core functions of the state. He said the budget aims at ensuring that South Sudan becomes a united and peaceful new nation by 2014. “This budget seeks to ensure the building strong foundations for good governance, economic prosperity and enhanced quality of life for all South Sudanese”, said Ngai. He announced strict measures

South Sudanese who fled to Israel during the two-decade civil war are finally trooping back home. 20 June 2012 Happy to be back home: The first batch of South Sudanese arrived in Juba early this week from Israel. [Gurtong/] JUBA, 20 June 2012 [Gurtong] - South Sudanese Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Joseph Lual Achuil told the press in a statement that at least 124 South Sudanese arrived in Juba Monday aboard an Israeli airplane accompanied by some Israeli government officials. He said the return of the South Sudanese from Israel is on a mutual understanding and arrangements reached after a meeting between the governments of the two countries. He strongly refuted reports that the South Sudanese nationals had been deported. “Our people are not being deported. We have agreed with the Israeli government for our people to be peacefully and voluntarily repatriated out of Israel. The remaining 700 South Sudanese wil

President Salva Kiir Mayardit has urged the police force to uphold professionalism. 19 June 2012 Newly-recruited customs police officers during a passing out parade in Juba, Monday,  [Gurtong] JUBA, 19 June 2012 [Gurtong] – The President has at the same time cautioned the force against misconduct and abuse of their job ethics, saying it tarnishes the image of the government and erodes public confidence in the force. “Reports about police misconduct in the country are shocking. The involvement of the police in insecurity cases in the country is a big obstacle in the pursuit of the rule of law and order”, said Kiir when he presided over the passing out parade of 115 customs police officers in Juba. He expressed concerns with the laxity of the police force in apprehending criminals, saying citizens especially in Juba have on several occasions accused the police of being behind insecurity threats such as robberies, theft and killings. The

Australia has become the latest entrant into the lucrative oil business in South Sudan. 19 June 2012 South Sudan’s Petroleum and Mining Deputy Minister Elizabeth James Bol (left) and the Australian Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Tim Fisher addressing the press in Juba. [Gurtong] JUBA, 19 June 2012 [Gurtong] - It joins China, Malaysia, Norway and Japan among others in the scramble for the turbulent oil sector and the unexploited mining industry in the infant nation. The Australian Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Tim Fisher last Friday led a delegation to Juba for a series of meetings with different government officials including the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit. The Petroleum and Mining Deputy Minister Elizabeth James Bol told the press that Australia is keen on co-operating with South Sudan by providing technical and economic support to boost the country’s oil sector.