NEWS BULLETIN SCRIPT Friday,
February
12, 2016
Good evening, it’s 5 o’clock. I’m Susan Dokolo.
The Headlines
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President Kiir reiterates government’s commitment to peace agreement
Ministry of Agriculture receives 5 million doses of livestock vaccines
Security situation in Maridi remains tense following weekend gunfire
President Salva Kiir has reiterated his commitment to peace and implementing the recently signed peace
agreement.
The President sounded the commitment in an address to the nation at the J1 Presidential office in Juba a few
minutes ago.
In a rather stern note, the President repeatedly said the agreement signed last month is against the sovereignty of
South Sudan and was imposed on the parties.
The President however called on the people to open up a new page for peace.
President Kiir: “We must open up now a new page and introduce a new thinking on how to best resolve our
differences and organize ourselves on new bases and realities to avoid future conflicts among ourselves. My fellow
citizens, the realities of our political differences which happened in 2013, managed to surface clearly again in the
signing of the Compromised Peace Agreement which was prepared by the IGAD despite many attempts and
concessions that I offered in order to keep the SPLM united.”
The President also cautioned that implementation of the agreement would face practical difficulties and would
require a ‘delicate degree of trust and commitment’.
President Kiir: “Fellow citizens, having made our reservations and expressed our disappointment on the provisions of
the agreement, I finally signed the peace document with those reservations to return our country back to peace and
development. With that signature I had fully committed myself and the government to the faithful implementation
of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the republic of South Sudan, all the institutions of government
in the country shall be bound by this agreement and shall be expected to carry out the functions stipulated for them
therein.”
The President fell short of addressing economics challenges facing the country, saying there is no practical solution
at this time.
Meanwhile, citizens in Western Bahr el Ghazal State are attending a sensitization workshop on the compromise
peace agreement.
The workshop is being conducted by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization CEPO.
Steven Robo, coordinator of the civil society organization, is appealing for mass sensitization on the agreement so as
to make the public aware of the provisions of the agreement and rally support for its implementation.
Robo: “As organizations, we should know the content of the agreement, how the citizens will benefit from it, and
how the citizens can contribute in encouragement of the parties in the implementation of the agreement. We
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NEWS BULLETIN SCRIPT Friday,
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specifically started last Thursday with the first group from the Ministry of Education that includes teachers and
students from secondary. Last Friday, also we were with Women Organization for Training (WOTAP) in Besilia
payam. CEPO tried to summarize the agreement and distributed to the states, easy to be understood by everyone.”
Senior military commanders from government and the opposition are in Addis Ababa to participate in a ceasefire
and transitional security arrangement workshop.
The workshop organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc is among
others raising awareness about full disengagement of forces, establishment of demilitarized zones, and withdrawal
of foreign forces.
The communications officer at the IGAD Secretariat in Addis Ababa Haile Michael says the workshop is discussing
transitional security arrangements and demilitarization of Juba.
Haile Michael: “So far the parties are discussing the transitional security arrangements including the demilitarization
of Juba I mean the forces they have. You know according to agreement they have to declare their forces, the size
including the location of their forces, where are they and how many do they have under their command and control,
they have to declare on this workshop.”
Former detainees and other stakeholders are also participating in this workshop which will end on Friday.
You are listening to Radio Miraya News
The Eastern Equatoria State Legislative Assembly has reopened after a three-month recess with concerns over the
hunger situation in parts of the state featuring prominently in the opening discussions.
Many of the state MPs have reported serious food shortages in their constituencies and have appealed for
intervention. The areas reported to be most affected are the Kapoeta counties and Budi.
The chairperson of the assembly’s information committee, Joseph Loko Kolobos, says the speaker has advised the
legislators to compile reports on the challenges in their home areas for possible deliberation before the house.
Kolobos: “The challenges we are facing in the state, the hunger situation is facing the state seriously. The speaker
also announced today all Members of Parliament have to give their report of challenges that their constituencies are
facing. Equally the same the state challenges, the hunger, the looming hunger situation in EES. I think the Members
of Parliament will be busy preparing reports of the time they have been with their own electorates. Equally the same
most of the Members of Parliament are talking of hunger in their respective constituencies.”
The Ministry of Agriculture has received five million doses of livestock vaccines to combat animal diseases across
the country.
The vaccines were donated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. Dr. Nimaya Mogga, a livestock
officer with FAO, stresses the importance of keeping livestock healthy.
Mogga: We want to encourage people to vaccinate their livestock because by vaccinating you will prevent diseases.
If some are left out and others vaccinated the diseases will continue to circulate because from those animals after
one year you know the vaccine stays only for sometimes. For new-born animals which are not vaccinated the disease
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NEWS BULLETIN SCRIPT Friday,
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will continue to circulate so we want all people to vaccinate all their animals as necessary as possible. At the moment
I am saying it is free but the government policy says all services are supposed to be given on cost recovery.”
The donation was unveiled as the ministry launched a central cold chain for livestock. The chain of equipment
includes three big freezers and 15 small fridges that will be used to store the temperature-sensitive vaccines.
The Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries Industry Beda Machar received the vaccines and equipment.
He said the items will be distributed across the country.
More information is coming out on the fighting in Wunduruba payam, Kotigiri boma in Central Equatoria State.
The number of people displaced to Lainya County has reached 5,000 following the fighting.
A Member of Parliament representing Lainya County in the national Legislative Assembly, also chairperson of the
House Information Committee, Thomas Wani Kundu, says citizens are living in fear.
He accuses government forces of carrying out the attacks.
Kundu: “Madam Speaker, on the 10th of this month as were adopting the agreement signed in this House, the war
broke out in Katigiri Payam of Wunduruba Boma between the SPLA and the rebels. To our dismay, our forces turned
on the citizens, shooting randomly, breaking shops, destroying properties until the entire citizenry fled to the bush.
As I am talking over 5,000 are already in Lainya and children are in the bush, their fate not known. The only persons
left on the ground are paramount chief Gordon Sasa and the Catholic priest, who is an Indian, but otherwise the
entire population is in the boost.”
Army spokesperson Colonel Phillip Aguer denies SPLA forces are to blame. He blames the incident on what he calls a
‘group of bandits’ who are engaged in looting from innocent civilians along the road.
Aguer: “What is happening in CES and WES is considered as a terrorism act. They lay ambushes on the roads and loot
cars and attack innocent civilians. This is a criminal and terrorist act. Two days ago they looted more than seven cars
on Maridi-Mundri road and yesterday the SPLA were able to return two cars. Up to now we are still pursuing them.”
The security situation in Maridi, Western Equatoria state, remains tense following weekend gunfire that left seven
people dead.
Acting State Governor Sapana Abui worries the death toll may rise as shooting continues in some parts of the
county.
He also said looting of civilian properties is reported in the town.
Abui: “The situation in Maridi is far from normal, though the day before yesterday during the day and yesterday
night the town was a bit calm. But again yesterday in the evening at around six some sporadic shooting was heard in
Hai Gabat. Up to this morning we have not yet got full details but the preliminary report we received is that some
people might have been killed. What is happening now in Maridi, there is wide looting in the residential areas by
armed groups who move from house to house looting properties of those who had left the town and ran for their
safety.”
Still in Western Equatoria Bee farmers in Tambura, have run short of honey following a high demand from across
the country.
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The farmers of the Tambura Bee keeping association say they are being flooded with customers from all over the
country who heard about their production.
Anthony Fada, manager of the Tambura Bee Keeping Association, says they produce up to 5,000 litres of quality
honey seasonally, which is not enough to meet the market demand.
In regional news
A Kenya National Commission on Human Rights report has revealed shocking details of torture, extrajudicial killing
and disappearances of suspects during the anti-terror operation that was launched two years ago.
According to the report released Tuesday, 25 extrajudicial killings and 81 disappearances have been documented
following the survey carried out in in Nairobi, Coast and Northern Kenya.
The report narrates various accounts of individuals who experienced torture while in police custody and during
police operations.
And in sport
El Hilal FC of Wau is in Juba for their South Sudan cup final game against At-labara FC.
The team arrived last evening ahead of the game at the Juba stadium on Friday.
El Hilal qualified for the finals after beating Salam FC of Aweil 2-1, while At-labara advanced after a 3-2 defeat to the
Torit Young Stars.
To end the news, here are the headlines once again.
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President Kiir reiterates government’s commitment to peace agreement
Ministry of Agriculture receives five million doses of livestock vaccines
Security situation in Maridi remains tense following weekend gunfire
Radio Miraya News .
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