United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Media & Spokesperson Unit Communications & Public Information Office MEDIA MONITORING REPORT

TUESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2013 SOUTH SUDAN  Cabinet fixes dollar rate at 2.95 SSP (Gurtong.net)  Finance Ministry raises 98 Million from non-oil revenues (Catholic Radio Network)  Amum, Machar accused of “deliberately” causing SPLM failures (Sudantribune.com)  Machar hints party decision against S. Sudan’s Kiir over repeated violations (Sudantribune.com)  Lakes imposes 5% pay cut on civil servants for SPLM contribution (Sudantribune.com)  Lakes state Counties report insecurity cases (Gurtong.net)  Two police officers die as interior minister’s convoy is involved in an accident (Gurtong.net)  South Sudan death penalty criticized (Gurtong.net)  World Bank hosts parliamentary secretariat, media dialogue (Gurtong.net)  UN trains Unity state officials on human rights protection (Sudantribune.com)  South Sudan launches first national MDGs report (Catholic Radio Network)  Jonglei residents welcome new governor (Gurtong.net)  WBG starts 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (Gurtong.net)  Famine weighs on school attendance in South Sudan’s Pochalla County (Theniles.org)  S. Sudan to collaborate with East African journalists to boost press freedom (Sudantribune.com) SUDAN/SOUTH SUDAN  Ngok Dinka hand parliament results of the referendum (Al-Maseer)  Mbeki conducts contacts in Khartoum to set date for negotiations (Sudanvision.com)  Sudanese VP chairs meeting on cooperation agreements with South Sudan (Sudantribune.com)  Khartoum projects trade volume with Juba to double (Sudantribune.com)  Mandate of UN peacekeeping force in abyei extended through May 2014 (AllAfrica.com)  US envoy talks Sudans in Cairo (Dailynewsegypt.com) OTHER HIGHLIGHTS  Fresh clashes between Sudanese army and SPLM-N in South Kordofan (Sudantribune.com)  SRF plans unification, political transformation (Voice of Peace)  Local commodities’ prices reduce in Nuba Mountains (Voice of Peace)  UN, African Union condemn latest attack on Darfur peacekeepers (UN News Center)  UN Security Council calls for execution of Kony arrest warrant (Sudantribune.com)  Sudan seeks Chinese funding for Merowe canal (Sudantribune.com) OPINION/ANALYSIS/EDITORIAL/COMMENTARIES  "They can even try to kill me, but i won't leave" (Radio Netherland Worldwide)  SPLM dissolution, a step in the right direction (Sudantribune.com)  South Sudan destabilizing new economic policy (Sudantribune.com)  South Sudan parliament and Abyei referendum (Sudantribune.com)  The wars are not over (Strategypage.com)  Here comes the shocking stupidity again: The "shock therapy" experiment imposed on South Sudan (Al Bawaba.com) LINKS TO STORIES FROM THE MORNING MEDIA MONITOR  Stakeholders review national curriculum (Bakhita Radio)  Wulu community distances themselves from claims MP is Yau Yau supporter (Sudantribune.com)  Health inspection to kick off in Yei (Easter Radio) NOTE: Reproduction here does not mean that the UNMISS Communications & Public Information Office can vouch for the accuracy or veracity of the contents, nor does this report reflect the views of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Furthermore, international copyright exists on some materials and this summary should not be disseminated beyond the intended list of recipients.

 South Sudan to collaborate with East African journalists to boost press freedom (Sudantribune.com)  UN, AU officials condemn latest attack on darfur peacekeepers (UN News Centre)

Highlights

Cabinet fixes dollar rate at 2.95 SSP Gurtong.net Juba, 26/11/2013 – The cabinet has resolved that the South Sudanese Pound exchange rate to the dollar and other international currencies should remain as it was before the decision taken by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance to devalue the currency. The resolution was passed on Friday during a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir. “After the deliberations, the cabinet resolved that the official exchange rate before they declare unification exchange rate should continue and for that matter the new exchange rate should no longer operate but continue with the old exchange rate of 2.95 SSP per dollar,” Michael Makuei, government Spokesman told the press. (Back To Top)

Finance Ministry raises 98 Million from non-oil revenues Catholic Radio Network, 26/11/2013 – The Ministry of Finance collected 98 million South Sudanese pounds from non-oil revenues in October compared to 90 million pounds in September. In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry revealed plans to cover November December salaries through increased spending discipline and refinancing loans incurred during the oil shut down in 2012. The statement added that the approved budget for non-salary spending for July-October fiscal year was 600 million South Sudanese Pounds. The ministry revealed that the actual spending was only 555 million South Sudanese Pounds which saved some money for other needs. (Back To Top)

S. Sudan’s Amum, Machar accused of “deliberately” causing SPLM failures Sudantribune.com Juba, 26/11/2013 – Senior members of South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM) have backed president Salva Kiir’s decision to dissolve the structures of the party, and blamed officials who recently fell out with the system for allegedly failing it. Officials accuse the suspended SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum and its first deputy chairperson, Riek Machar for allegedly being responsible for the poor performance of the party’s structures at all levels across the country. A senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sudan Tribune on Monday that Machar and Amum "deliberately caused this confusion and the institutional weaknesses we are seeing today". The official, himself a member of the recently dissolved SPLM Political Bureau (PB), said that Amum "had not shown institutional respect" to Kiir who took over the chairmanship party in 2005 after the death of its former leader John Garang. The rift in the SPLM has seen the political allegiances formed during the civil war with Sudan return to the surface. "Amum still has the mentality of undermining him [Kiir] as happened during [the civil] war when some commanders and comrades could report directly to comrade John Garang without following [the SPLA’s] administrative chain of command, even though they knew comrade Salva [Kiir] was the direct deputy commander in chief", he said. The official, who spoke exclusively to Sudan Tribune, also referred to Machar’s split from the mainstream of the SPLM/SPLA led by Kiir and Garang in 1991.

2 "As for comrade Riek Machar, history bears witness. He does not like to be under the leadership of someone else" the official said, adding that both Amum and Machar "have different interests and ambitions" that explained their actions. Over the weekend, Kiir chaired a meeting of senior SPLM officials to discuss the process of creating the party’s new structures. Notably absent from the meeting were Machar, Amum and several other figures sacked in the July cabinet reshuffle. The SPLM leadership, according to the official, "agreed in principle" to form new party structures, which will be carefully scrutinised by "highly respected and committed" SPLM members who have a "clear and clean record". Mark Nyipuoc, a deputy speaker of South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly said those who claimed that the SPLM had lost its direction and vision should explain why they did had not acted to avoid these perceived failures. "What prevented those who say the SPLM had lost vision and direction from acting to avert this? Who prevented them from taking corrective measures? I think these are the questions which you in the media should be asking", Nyipuoc told Sudan Tribune on Monday. Amum’s Suspension Not Enough Meanwhile, Sabrino Majok Majok, a member of the party’s National Liberation Council in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal, accused Amum of "deliberately" masterminding all the party’s current pitfalls. "Given what we know, Comrade Pagan is the prime cause of all internal problems SPLM is facing today. His suspension is not enough. He should be held accountable for deliberately trying to destroy this peoples’ party which liberated people of South Sudan from oppressors, for his individual’s interests", Majok wrote in a comment article circulated to various news entities on Sunday. "Comrade Pagan was the weakest link in the SPLM party, period", he said. Political Sabotage Majok’s view was echoed by Lual Bol Kuan, a spokesperson for the South Sudanese business community, who asserted that the political crisis is discouraging international investment. "We are all stakeholders in this country. This is why we are not silent. The current political situation was created by individuals who do not know their actions would create an atmosphere not favourable for investment and trade", Kuan told Sudan Tribune. He claimed that the former vice president "worked hard to undermine" president Kiir’s authority with the hope that the former would eventually resign to allow the latter take over the party leadership. "The former vice president should have played a key role in managing internal challenges [rather] than resorting [to] political sabotage and negative public criticism of the chairman. The intention behind this was to portray the president as someone incompetent to the run the affairs of the country", Kuan stressed. So public criticism was not just a tactic to undermine his [Kiir’s] authority, but they wanted to push him to eventually resign, he added. In the weeks before he was sacked, Machar became increasingly critical of the government’s performance and openly put himself forward to succeed Kiir as the SPLM chairman and the country’s president. Kuan claimed that the way the former vice president used to conduct himself was a clear violation of the SPLM constitution and member’s code of conduct. After the dissolution of the SPLM’s structures was confirmed last week, Machar accused his chairman of paralysing the party. (Back To Top)

3 Machar hints party decision against S. Sudan’s Kiir over repeated violations Sudantribune.com Juba, 26/11/2013 – South Sudan’s former vice-president, Riek Machar, has warned of a possible party decision against the governing party (SPLM) chairman Salva Kiiir over constitutional "violations" unless the latter reversed his current trend. Machar was referring to the recent row over the dissolution the SPLM’s national structures. Machar, the first deputy chairman of the SPLM, on Monday issued the warning, saying Kiir was acting in violation of the party constitution, accusing him of relying on a minority view of three members, while taking the rest of the majority "for granted". "The chairman had no constitutional right to dissolve the party structures because of delay in convening a national convention", he argued. Previously numbering 27, the membership of the Political Bureau (PB) reduced to at least 19 members, after the SPLM-N detached from the mother SPLM in the wake of South Sudan’s independence in 2011. Machar said that Kiir was making decisions in consultations with only three PB members, namely James Wani Igga, new vice-president, also second deputy chairman, Daniel Awet Akot, a Member of Parliament and defense minister Kuol Manyang Juuk. The former vice-president further explained that Kiir should have also dissolved his position with the structures since he too was part of it. "If he dissolved the party structures then what made him to remain as chairman since he is part of the same structures", he asked. The first vice-chairman of the SPLM cautioned that such a trend would render the rest of the majority in the PB to make a decision against the chairman’s “paralysing” actions. Machar also wondered that Kiir may be working towards splitting the historical movement using a "minority view". Observers fear that the continued exchange of accusations between the two leaders of the SPLM could fuel tensions and lead the new nation to a chaotic situation. They also say the SPLM leadership should cultivate the spirit of national unity, seek to engage dialogue to resolve conflicts and ensure the stability of their country. (Back To Top)

Lakes imposes 5% pay cut on civil servants for SPLM contribution Sudantribune.com Rumbek, 26/11/2013 – The Lakes state government has introduced a controversial 5% cut to the salaries of civil servants as a contribution to the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), according to a document seen by Sudan Tribune. The document, which was obtained Sudan Tribune, is signed by Lakes state minister of finance Joseph Maker Madit, and is dated 15 November. The move has been received with an outcry from civil servants who have slammed the deduction is an “ill-informed decision”, and have called for its immediate reversal. Although the letter is dated 15 November, reports say the October salary of civil servants is being subjected to the 5% pay cut. The finance ministry has meanwhile distanced itself from the decision, saying it was a directive from caretaker governor Major-General Matur Chut Dhuol. (Back To Top)

Lakes state Counties report insecurity cases Gurtong.net Rumbek, 26/11/2013 – Authorities in Lakes State have reported several incidents of killings in Yirol West and Rumbek Central Counties where two people were reported killed on separate crime related cases and 14 others are wounded with gunshot wounds.

4 Last Sunday, one person was killed in Mapuordit payam of Yirol West County while youth were performing traditional dances with police sources confirming that the fighting erupted after one stepped on the drum and made announcement to his fellow youth. In Dinka traditional cultures of passing important information, a young man can stop the drum and make an announcement while dancers could stop dancing and listen to the announcement. A policeman who requested anonymity in Mapuordit payam said the fighting erupted between two sections of youth groups belonging to Kok and Paleu where one person was killed and SPLA intervened to separate the clashes by opening gunfire leaving 14 people with gunshot wounds. Both police and Mapuordit hospital confirmed that the 14 people injured are admitted in Mapuordit hospital. Marial Amuom Malek, Member of Parliament representing Yirol West County in Lakes state Assembly confirmed the incident happened and explained that insecurity has resumed in Rumbek Amuom blamed the Lakes state government and security forces for having poor justice and harassment of youth by security agents which has contributed to the present rise of insecurity. On Saturday night, a young man was killed during a party at Malual-Akan residential area by a group of people believed to under influence of alcohol. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Rumbek confirmed that five suspects are arrested and taken to Langcok military prison on Sunday morning. “Security situation had resumed badly, people are killed and state government is having poor relationship with its chiefs and tracking information from community is becoming very hard,” said a senior police officer who requested anonymity In Mading village, located four kilometres from Rumbek Central County, a 28-year old man was killed by a group suspected to have carrying out a revenge killing. Bol Akool Mabor was killed on Saturday night and no suspects have been arrested by the time of going to the press. (Back To Top)

Two police officers die as interior minister’s convoy is involved in an accident Gurtong.net Wau, 26/11/2013 – Two police officers were killed with more than 10 others being seriously injured on Wednesday as the South Sudan Interior Minister Aleu Ayieny Aleu's security convoy was involved in an accident. The accident occurred at Eastern Part of Jur River County as the minister was moving from Western Bahr el Ghazal state to Warrap State to attend his daughter’s marriage ceremony. Two police officers died on the spot while more than 10 others were seriously injured after one of security trucks lost control and overturned. Among the dead was one from Western Bahr el Ghazal and the other from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state. The two bodies were brought to Wau teaching hospital for post-mortem before being collected by families for burial. The rest are currently under medical treatment at Wau teaching hospital. Interior minister Aleu Ayeiny arrived in Western Bahr el Ghazal state last Tuesday before travelling to Kuajock town. After his visit to Kuacjok, the minister decided to attend a marriage ceremony which took place in Warrap where his convoy was involved in an accident. (Back To Top)

South Sudan death penalty criticized Gurtong.net Wau, 26/11/2013 – Students from Bahr el Ghazal University have criticized South Sudan legal administration calling for an end to capital punishment and the abolishing of death penalty.

5 Led by Batisio Uliny, a student at the College of Economic and Social Studies, the students said the system of death penalty in South Sudan is unacceptable and the system should consider other types of punishment where the nation will benefit out of their labour instead of sentencing culprits to death. He said that economically, the human labour of the man or woman sentenced to death is useful to the poor nation with poor food security as every man and woman has the right to life according to international law. He said instead of sentencing the convicted criminal to life imprisonment, we should invest in agricultural activities like growing artificial forest to replace the natural forest that had been destroyed in search for living, growing food stuff to fight famine that has characterized the country for many years, roads are very poor and some are even impassable which could only be constructed by the labour from the prisoners who are sentenced to death. He said the recurring conflict between families, clans and tribes will never stop as more and more revenge is planned by the parties involved. “Legally, it has a setback on the legal administrators like the judges, magistrates, prosecutors who actively participated in the prosecution of the said law that sentenced the convicted person to death as the relatives and friends of the convicted person to death will in turn find ways of putting the life of those administrators to death or deform them for the case or court ruling their brothers and sisters,” he said. Uliny said this creates fear and confusion in the legal system of the country. “If the country could not be a single party nation, then these could provide a good percent of voters during the country general elections, but then the public does not mind about whose voters, life are being laid to rest idle under surface of the earth without any question being raised by public,” he pointed out. He said that if South Sudan constitutional review committees are wise, then they should eliminate the article that stipulates on offences of a certain nature committed by and replace those articles for the convicted offender to be channelled to work in government firms, factors, and industries. Meanwhile, a student from the same college named Charles Nyiyuo Amok supports the death punishment in the young nation. He said death punishment in young nation is something under debate in the country that he has taken his position to tell the public that death penalty must continue for a number of years.

Amok said it would have been fair if the world could say he who kills a person will be sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour to the family of the deceased. (Back To Top)

World Bank hosts parliamentary secretariat, media dialogue Gurtong.net Juba, 26/11/2013 – The World Bank Institute (WBI) is sponsoring a three-day peer- learning and sensitization training between the parliamentary secretariat and the media in South Sudan. The training in Juba is also supported by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and includes parliamentary secretariat and the media with clear strategies to ensure they are consequently linked up for effective and efficient reporting in regards to socio-economic and political matters. This involves putting into consideration good reporting which will always carry facts with evidence and vivid interactions. For clarity, the ongoing networking hosts Parliamentary Secretariat officials from National Legislative Assembly of South Sudan with selected journalists drawn from different media houses. The training at the Juba Regency Hotel is handled by the WBI’s Beverly Wenger-Trayner with close cooperation with the WBI’s team leader Mr. Mitch O’Brien together with Mr. Craig Hammer and his colleague WBI’s Miriam Bensky.

6 The participants keenly followed and fully engaged in identifying what is good and bad in reporting. The Parliamentary Secretariat officials got engaged in deeper discussions and sensitization on the role of media in national budget and audit processes. The dialogue involved governance processes looking at oversights and matters related to economy, political and administrative issues. The WBI’s team leader Mr. Mitch O’Brien urged both participants to use the opportunity to identify areas of conflicts between South Sudan National Parliamentary Secretariat officials and the media and move to work through diplomatic dialogue. Journalists are urged to correctly base their reporting on governance, administrative and economic matters issues related to public funds. He urged them to demonstrate serious commitment in the sector. IRI’s Martins Zemitis who is currently Administrator on Committee of Budget in European Union Parliament took the participants systematically relating them to roles and responsibilities of parliamentary staff considering experiences of other jurisdictions. He highlighted instances on history of oppression and dictatorship, building a democratic country with collective efforts with its new institutions and laws. (Back To Top)

UN trains Unity state officials on human rights protection Sudantribune.com Bentiu, 26/11/2013 – The United Nations has provided human rights training to the commissioners and heads of police in Unity state’s seven counties in an efforst to protect citizens from human rights abuses. During the training, the human rights section of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in collaboration with the government’s Human Rights Commission have emphasised the importance of respecting human rights laws. Unity state’s deputy governor Mabek Lang De Mading, while addressing officials at event organised by the UN’s headquarters in the state capital in Bentiu town, said the forum was the first step in a dialogue to bring different groups and county commissioners to understand their role as the protectors of human rights. South Sudan, he said, had experienced decade’s civil war with the Sudanese government - leading to independence from Khartoum in 2011 - which has set back the advancement of human rights in the region. Human rights must be the top priority of the government, which is run by the political wing of the former rebel movement that fought the Sudanese army from 1983 until a 2005 peace deal, in order for South Sudan to have a better image in the world. "Human rights must be respected so that you will be a clean state" and a "clean county" that will deserve to be recognised and accepted internationally, he advised. "You will be assisted whenever there is something that you require so I think with this training we will see our state to be peaceful." Peter Dak Khan, the Mayom County commissioner, says that the participants learned about their own weaknesses in terms of ensuring human rights are protected. The inclusion of county commissioners and police officers will help to correct previous mistakes, he said. "I think [human rights protection] will improve a lot because the commissioners of the nine counties, the deputy commissioners and the police inspector of nine counties participated in the workshop, so we identify areas that actually violate human rights. I believe we will try our best to correct these." Deputy Governor De Mading warned county commissioners to learn form the recent deadly clashes triggered by a land ownership dispute between Jikany and Leek sections of the Nuer community.

7 The South Sudanese government will not tolerant any cases of human rights violation, Unity state’s deputy governor said. "People killing themselves in the part of the state like what happen last Wednesday is not a something that can be forgiven in our daily life because [there is] no need for unaccountable death without reason." He added that instead of focusing on internal border issues, South Sudanese should focus on the need to resolve disputed areas along the un-demarcated international border with Sudan. (Back To Top)

South Sudan launches first national MDGs report Catholic Radio Network, 26/11/2013 – The Vice President of the Republic and other government officials will on Tuesday launch Millennium Development Goals or MDGs Status report in the country for the first time. A press statement said James Wani Igga and National Bureau of Statistics Chairperson Isaiah Chol Aruai and development partners including UNDP officials will present the status report at the third Governors’ Forum in Juba. The Statement added that status report would outline the progress South Sudan made in the MDGs achievement. The report would create a basis for determining necessary interventions or policies to achieve the goals The document outlines current status and trends in providing basic services and improvements in human development and poverty reduction in the country. Ten state governors, legislators, ministers and development partners will discuss policies of transparency and accountability in service delivery for local development. (Back To Top)

Jonglei residents welcome new governor Gurtong.net Bor, 26/11/2013 – The newly appointed Jonglei State caretaker governor John Kong Nyuon has arrived in Bor for the first time since his appointment calling for peace and stability among state communities. Kong was last week appointed by President Salva Kiir as a caretaker governor for Jonglei after resignation of Kuol Manyang who was appointed as national minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs. Residents turned up at the main airstrip to the secretariat to welcome the caretaker governor John Kong to the state. Nyuon was accompanied by a national delegation from Juba including the former governor who is currently serving as Defence Minister, Minister of Information, Michael Makuei and other dignitaries. On arrival, Nyuon urged the conflicting ethnic communities to work for peace and stability in the state. “No need for death again, nothing will let someone kill another person anyhow without reasons; we should have to negotiate because we are all natives and residents of this state and let us bring peace among ourselves,” he said. He said that nothing is more important than peace in the state. “Our brother Yau Yau should have to come for peace; there is nothing important more that peace among the communities,” he told the public. He assures authorities and civil population to hold a rally in which he will reveals his priorities and ways forward in the state.

8 The former acting governor, who is the deputy Governor Hussein Maar Nyuot urged the state communities to firmly stand and work together with the newly appointed caretaker governor, John Kong Nyuon. He said that with peace and stability in Jonglei state, unity of the communities and togetherness should bring development in the state. Joshua Dau, the elder of greater Fangak communities thanked the president for appointing their son as governor of Jonglei state at this particular time of crisis. He said that Fangak is well known to be a peace making area and that they are proud that their brother and son of the area have been appointed to come and bring about peace to the difficult state. “I am sure Brother John Kong will reconcile Nuer, Murle, Dinka and others and I think there will be peace in this part of the country,” Dau said. Dau says there is a very particular characteristic and personality and ability seen in governor by the whole nation to be the governor at this time since Kong was the governor of greater Upper Nile during the civil war. The speaker of the state legislative assembly Peter Chol Wal vowed that the parliament shall cooperate with the governor in running the affairs of the state effectively. Chol urges that through their commitment and togetherness, they shall overcome difficulties and challenges in the state. The former governor Kuol Manyang Juuk called upon community leaders to take lead in disseminating peace and reconciliation across the state. “Let us lead and governor John Kong will follow us in seeking for peace, not him to be ahead of us and we follow because we are the one fighting not Kong; so John Kong will following us adding what we have not done,” he said. (Back To Top)

Western Bahr el Ghazal starts 16 days of activism against gender-based violence Gurtong.net Wau, 26/11/2013 – Hundreds of women in Western Bahr el Ghazal have today marched on the streets in Wau town at the start of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. The march began from Wau Peace Playground and ended at the state council of ministers premises where the state governor Rizik Zackaria Hassan and members from the United Nations addressed the gathered. The celebrations of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is considered as a unique event commemorated worldwide annually due to strong history of its foundation which originated from the first women’s global leadership institute in 1991. The day was chosen to commemorate the death of the three Mirabel sisters who were detained, toured and assassinated in 1960 during the dictatorship of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Today it is internationally recognized as a day of protest. In the message read by women representative Viola Philip, the participants in that world conference chose 25th November each year to launch the 16th days for campaigns for the elimination of all violence against women. Viola said the 16-day campaign is used as a tool to organize strategies by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human right at local, national, regional and international levels. The women call for strengthening local work around violence against women and establishing clear links between local and international work to end violence against women. They went further to chose 10th December of every year to mark the International Human Rights Day, also closing of the 16th days activism campaign against women in order to symbolically link

9 violence against women with human rights to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. Leaders urged the state government to implement promises made to eliminate violence women. “Sexual exploitation and abuse are unacceptable behaviours that remain a main challenge facing primary members of the local population,” said UN state coordinator Winne Babihuga. She said sexual exploitation includes the exchange of money, food, goods services or any other form of assistance for sexual favours or demands. “The perpetrator is usually a person in legitimate authority, who abuses his authority by demanding or accepting sexual acts in exchange for the exercise of that authority,” said Bibahuga. In South Sudan, at least four out of ten women have experienced one or more forms of violence, with many more cases going unreported. Displacements due to conflict and natural disasters, coupled with high levels of food insecurity, exacerbate the incidence of gender-based violence across the country. Alarmingly, studies show that 8 out of 10 South Sudanese seem to have tolerance for violence against women. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) calls for a greater respect for the rights of women and girls, urging countries to take measures to protect them from gender based violence, and to support their participation in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction. The UN Security Council has, through its resolution 1960, also requested separate country level mechanisms to monitor and report on incidences of conflict related to sexual violence, both in South Sudan and in other countries. The UN family in South Sudan is committed to assisting with the prevention of sexual and gender- based violence and in putting the gender policy into practice that will lead to tangible results for women and girls in the country. Through strong partnerships between government, NGOs and communities, prevention and response programs will be put in place that enhance the rights of women and girls and help them live free from the threat of violence. (Back To Top)

Famine weighs on school attendance in South Sudan’s Pochalla County Theniles.org, 26/11/2013 – John Joseph Abulla, State Member of Parliament representing Pochalla County, said families seeking food and education sought refuge at Panyundo and Dimo camps in Ethiopia, which borders with Pochalla County in the restive Jonglei State. “Over 600 pupils left with their families mainly to escape the hunger,” Abulla said. “Families have locked their houses and fled to Ethiopia,” he added, estimating that 6,520 households were affected. “Families have locked their houses and fled to Ethiopia.” ohn Joseph AbullaHe said local food shortages were caused by the threat from rebels in the volatile state as well as flooding which has destroyed crops. Local schools have closed as a result of the lack of students. Three payams were worst affected, Akyoi with 2,200 households, Adongo with 2,540 and Burator where 1,780 households were affected, according to the County South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission. Pochalla Commissioner Joseph Okello Wello said the World Food Program (WFP) has started distributing some food in the county but it is not enough for the region’s 66,200 population. Local authorities already announced that the local market has run out of food after heavy rain blocked many roads in the region. More than 2,350 houses have been reported destroyed by the dramatic rainfall in recent months.

10 Pochalla is one of the most remote counties in Jonglei State where fighting between security forces and rebels is ongoing. It has no road links to the state’s capital Bor nor to other counties, meaning people are forced to travel there by air. The county has 17 primary and one secondary schools and some schools are now holding classes under the shade of trees or in temporary houses built by residents. Teachers are also in short supply, according to authorities, who say that more than 60 teachers have deserted the teaching profession because of low wages. (Back To Top)

S. Sudan to collaborate with East African journalists to boost press freedom Sudantribune.com Kampala, 26/11/2013 – Journalist unions in Uganda and Kenya are to conduct joint programmes with their colleagues in South Sudan in order to strengthen the capacity of journalists in the two-year-old nation to defend press freedom, organise their union and conduct advocacy campaigns. “We want to help our brothers in South Sudan to develop capacity to handle press freedom advocacy campaigns and have a strong union of journalists”, said UJU secretary-general Stephen Ouma in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Monday. “We will have a follow up meeting with South Sudan journalists sometime next year”, said Ouma who represented Uganda at the meeting in Juba, attended by some 60 journalists and media owners from across South Sudan. Ouma said journalist from South Sudan will be invited to Uganda in December, where they will attend the UJU’s general assembly, as well as learn about the operational structures of a union. At the Juba meeting, the three unions signed an agreement that will see increased cooperation among journalists from South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya. “Kenya and Uganda have media laws enacted by parliament, while South Sudan is yet to enact any media law. The disparity in press freedom development levels in Kenya and Uganda as compared to South Sudan is too wide, which calls for urgent measures to help journalists in the newest state in the world get protection and enjoy press freedom”, UJU said in a statement released following the Juba meeting. (Back To Top)

Ngok Dinka hand parliament results of the referendum Al-Maseer [translation from the Arabic by CPIO] Juba, 25/11/13 – Representatives of the nine Ngok Dinka Chieftaincies handed the Speaker of the National Assembly yesterday the results of the referendum carried out last October on the status of the Abyei Area. Speaker Manasseh Magok Rundial congratulated the delegation and the people of Abyei for their efforts that led to the success of the referendum. He noted that Abyei is in fact part of South Sudan and, by the outcome of the referendum, is officially part of South Sudan. (Back To Top)

Mbeki conducts contacts in Khartoum to set date for negotiations Sudanvision.com Khartoum, 26/11/2013 – President of the Sudanese government delegation to negotiate with the SPLM-N revealed that the joint African mediator, Thabo Mbeki conducted contacts with his delegation, to set a date for negotiations, saying that his delegation told Mbeki their willingness to negotiate at any time. Ghandour told Ashrooq TV that the issue of negotiating on the regions of Southern Blue Nile and South Kordofan was approved by the state in both the legislative and executive institutions, and at the level of the Shura of the ruling party, expressed their willingness for negotiations. Member of the government delegation, Dr. Hussein Hamdi had expected that the next round of negotiations with the SPLM-N on the two regions, to begin by the end of November or the beginning of next December, under the auspices of the AUHIP, headed by Thabo Mbeki. Hamdi told Ashrooq TV last week, that the government delegation did not enter negotiations due to pressure or external influences.

11 The Sudanese government has announced its readiness to resume negotiations on the Blue Nile and South Kordofan on the basis of the peace agreements and UN Security Council Resolution 2046. (Back To Top)

Sudanese VP chairs meeting on cooperation agreements with South Sudan Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 26/11/2013 – The first vice-president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, has chaired on Monday the meeting of the higher committee for following up on the implementation of the joint cooperation agreements between Sudan and South Sudan. The Sudanese acting foreign minister, Salah Wanasi, who co-chairs executive committee of the Sudan South Sudan higher committee, briefed the meeting on the progress made in the implementation of the cooperation agreements through the joint panels, concerned ministries, and the parallel bodies in both countries. The meeting listened to detailed reports from the heads of the subcommittees on various aspects including the military, security, economic, trade, banking, transportation, services, labour, training, and capacity building issues besides the joint diplomatic efforts to cancel foreign debts and lift economic sanctions imposed on Sudan. The participants approved the reports of the subcommittees and made several recommendations for improving cooperation between the two countries in the political, diplomatic, security, and economic domains. The meeting praised the political, economic, and social contacts being made between the two countries during the previous period and called to enhance bilateral contacts. It also urged the civil society organizations to exert more efforts in this regard. JOINT POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE Meanwhile, the Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC) between Sudan and South Sudan would resume its meetings in Khartoum Tuesday under the chairmanship of Sudan’s chief of military intelligence, Siddig Aamer Hassan, and his southern counterpart, Mac Paul. The JPSC rapporteur, Al-Moiz Farouq, said that the fifth meeting would discuss the outcome of the fourth meeting on several issues including the implementation of the security arrangements, opening of border crossings, and the safe demilitarized border zone in accordance with the directives of the summit meetings of the two presidents in Juba, Addis Ababa, and Kuwait. He added that the meeting would also discuss measures for boosting trust between the two sides and pointed to the decrease in the number of complaints received by the committee, attributing it to the seriousness of both sides to overcome obstacles and implement the agreements signed between the two countries. (Back To Top)

Khartoum projects trade volume with Juba to double Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 26/11/2013 – The Sudanese government announced on Monday that it expects trade volume with South Sudan to double following the recent opening of border crossings. The Sudanese 1st VP Ali Osman Mohamed Taha today chaired the meeting of the Supreme Committee to follow up on the implementation of joint cooperation agreements with Juba signed last year. The meeting listened to detailed reports by the heads of the subcommittees which included security, military and economic affairs, trade, banking, transport, services, employment and training and capacity building. The joint chair of the executive committee of the higher committee between the two countries Salah al-Deen Wansi presented a summary of the implementation of cooperation agreements through joint committees, ministries and counterparts from the two sides. The Supreme Committee commended the level of political, economic and social activities that occurred between the two countries under the auspices of the African Union (AU) mediation team

12 headed by Thabo Mbeki and called for intensified political and diplomatic communication, and accelerating steps to bolster economic and trade cooperation. The pro-government Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website quoted the chairman of the committee on trade in the ministry of Commerce Hassan Ibn-Ouf as saying that trade volume will grow to 14,000 tons compared to 7,000 tons prior to the south’s secession. The Sudanese official said that this will make his country the largest exporter of goods to South Sudan. Ibn-Ouf explained that the agreement between the two countries to open ten border crossing points between the two neighbors will contribute to boosting the economic activities. He indicated that Sudan will be the main partner of South Sudan by virtue of ties between the two peoples and the existence of trade relations between individuals in the two countries. (Back To Top)

Mandate of UN peacekeeping force in abyei extended through May 2014 AllAfrica.com, 25/11/2013 – The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Abyei which is tasked with overseeing the demilitarization of an area that is contested by Sudan and South Sudan. In a unanimous vote, the 15-member Council extended the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) until the end of next May. The mission was set up by the Council in June 2011 following an outbreak of violence after Sudanese troops took control of the area, displacing tens of thousands of people in the weeks before South Sudan became an independent State after seceding from Sudan. The mission's mandate includes overseeing the demilitarization of the area and maintaining security. In today's text, the Council urged Sudan and South Sudan to immediately resume the work of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee "to ensure steady progress" on the implementation of the June 2011 Agreement, which provides for temporary administrative arrangements for Abyei and the withdrawal of troops by both sides. The Council also urged the two Governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized, and to implement confidence-building measures among the respective communities in the area, including through reconciliation processes. Council members strongly urged all Abyei communities to exercise maximum restraint in all their engagements and to desist from inflammatory acts or statements that may lead to violent clashes, or any further unilateral activities. The final status of Abyei is one of the outstanding issues of the so-called Comprehensive Peace Agreement which helped to end the long-running civil war between Sudan and South Sudan. (Back To Top)

US envoy talks Sudans in Cairo Dailynewsegypt.com, 25/11/2013 – Envoy presents US administration’s strategy to achieve a lasting peace between Sudan and South Sudan United States Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth has been conducting meetings in Cairo since Saturday to discuss the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. Booth, who is on his first visit to Cairo, met with Egyptian government officials and representatives of the Arab League, according to a US Embassy official. The special envoy, who was appointed by US President Barack Obama in August, met with interim Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy on Sunday. Booth presented Fahmy with the US administration’s strategy to achieve a lasting peace between Sudan and South Sudan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The pair discussed “mediation efforts relating to the Darfur crisis and the political, security and humanitarian situation in the [Sudanese] states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.” They also addressed some of the

13 outstanding issues that exist including the disputed region of the oil rich Abyei District on the border between the two countries. South Kordofan descended into violence at the time of the separation due to the cancellation of popular consultations in the state by Governor Ahmed Haroun, which was held as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Haroun is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The sate of Blue Nile also suffered as a result of the process of dividing the two countries, and both states are now faced by a refugee and humanitarian crisis. The Darfur region had been ravaged by conflict up until the 2010 Doha peace forum when an agreement was reached between the Sudanese government and the rebels. The process of international efforts to rebuild the region has begun and Doha hosted another conference in April to explore ways to achieve this. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Kamel Amr pledged Egypt’s support for the region. The US Embassy official said that Booth “recognises the importance of key regional and multilateral partners in supporting a lasting peace between Sudan and South Sudan, and with the region more broadly.” Fahmy stressed to Booth the “importance for the international community to support the positive and constructive dialogue between the leaderships of Sudan and South Sudan.” Fahmy added that this is the best way to come to an agreement on outstanding issues. (Back To Top)

Fresh clashes between Sudanese army and SPLM-N in South Kordofan Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 26/11/2013 – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM) on Monday said they destroyed a government military convoy at Umm Kraisha, west of Wali area in South Kordofan state While, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), on the same day, announced the beginning of extensive military operations to end rebellion in the country and pledged to eliminate all rebel groups by the end of the next summer. The SPLM-N spokesperson, Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, said in a statement released on Monday that their forces inflicted heavy casualties on SAF in Umm Kraisha, in Nuba Mountains. He further pointed that they captured 3 tanks in good condition and more than 20 mounted vehicles. The rebel official stressed that fighting is still going on in Karko and Northern Sabi areas, west of Dilling. (Back To Top)

SRF plans unification, political transformation Voice of Peace, 26/11/2013 – Sudan Revolutionary Front or SRF forces planned to unify themselves and transform their alliance into a political party. Speaking to Sudanese community in Paris on Sunday, the SRF deputy chairman for external relations Gibril Ibrahim said their European tour was to show their unity and credibility to rule the country, Voice of Peace reported. SRF External Relations Secretary Yasir Saeed Arman said the alliance agreed to allocate ten percent of the seats to the independent elements. The alliance leader Malik Agar last week led the Sudanese rebels’ delegation to France, Germany, Finland, Italy, Belgium, and Netherlands. They met the EU Commission and the parliament and visited the International Criminal Court. The alliance demanded different governments and legislators to support process to settle regional conflicts and re-establish democratic regime in Sudan. (Back To Top)

Local commodities’ prices reduce in Nuba Mountains Voice of Peace, 26/11/2013 – Prices of locally produced goods including sorghum, maize, beans, simsim and groundnuts reduced in Nuba Mountains.

14 Prices came down following the onset of dry season and good harvest. Prices of imported goods such as sugar, coffee, salt, shoes, clothes and soap remain high. Nuba Trade Union Treasurer in Kauda Abass Anur told Voice of Peace Radio on Monday that prices of imported goods remained high due to lack of transport and the daily aerial bombardment. One trader who preferred to remain anonymous attributed the rise of prices to high taxation levied on traders when they import goods. SPLM-N Political Leader in Heiban County Yunan Al Barut Ajour said traders were overcharging people in the market, a situation that the authority could not control. Mr Ajour urged traders to sell goods at a reasonable price. During the last few months, Nuba Trade Union in Kauda said prices were high due to heavy rains. (Back To Top)

UN, African Union condemn latest attack on Darfur peacekeepers UN News Center, 25/11/2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur have condemned an attack on Sunday in which one Rwandan peacekeeper was killed, and called on the Government of Sudan to bring the perpetrators to justice. The peacekeeper was shot when the convoy belonging to the mission (UNAMID) came under attack by unidentified armed assailants on the road from Kabkabiya to Saraf Umra in North Darfur. He later succumbed to his injuries in the mission’s hospital in Kabkabiya. One of the UNAMID vehicles was hijacked by the attackers. The latest death brings to 14 the number of UNAMID peacekeepers killed this year. It follows an attack last month in West Darfur that left three Senegalese peacekeepers dead. Mr. Chambas, who is the head of UNAMID, called on the Sudanese Government to act “decisively and quickly” in bringing those responsible to justice. (Back To Top)

UN Security Council calls for execution of Kony arrest warrant Sudantribune.com New York, 25/11/2013 – The president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday called for cooperation among member states in effecting arrest warrants issued for Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader Joseph Kony. “The Security Council recalls that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and forced enlistment of children, have yet to be enforced, and calls upon all member states to cooperate with relevant national authorities ... in order to implement those warrants”, the statement said in part. The UNSC’s calls for the execution of the arrest warrants comes only days after the president of the Central Africa Republic (CAR), Michel Djotodia, was quoted by international media as saying the brutal rebel leader had contacted his government with intentions to surrender. The UNSC has also condemned the rebel group for its continued abduction of children to bolster its ranks. “The council condemns further the LRA’s recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts, killing, maiming, rape, sexual slavery and other sexual violence, and abductions”, the statement said. The 15-member council also commended the international community for rehabilitation of those affected by the LRA conflict in South Sudan, DRC and CAR. The council also called for safe and unhindered access by humanitarian organisations to reach those affected by the LRA. (Back To Top)

Sudan seeks Chinese funding for Merowe canal Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 26/11/2013 – The Sudanese Finance and National Economy minister Ali Mahmood Abdel-Rasool told the national assembly today that his government is in talks with China to obtain a $500 million loan to construct the Merowe dam canal.

15 Abdel-Rasool, who was testifying on a proposed law for additional FY 2013 appropriations, noted that Beijing suspended credit to Khartoum following the secession of South Sudan and the loss of oil reserves that existed when the country was united. Sudanese officials said that oil was used in the past as collateral for Chinese loans and following the country’s partition there were reports that Khartoum offered gold mine concessions instead to maintain the flow of loans. (Back To Top)

"They can even try to kill me, but i won't leave" Radio Netherland Worldwide, 26/11/2013 – Agok – Previously displaced by war and conflict, Chol Ramadan Seek, together with tens of thousands of Sudanese, returns to Abyei for a referendum that will decide if the contested border region should stay with Khartoum or join the now independent South Sudan. Dancing and singing women line the muddy landing strip in the small town of Agok in South Sudan's Abyei region. As the plane comes in for landing, children start running along the narrow stretch of dirt. "Home, at last", says Chol Ramadan Seek, as the aircraft comes to wobbly halt. "I have suffered a lot to get here. At one point I almost thought I wasn't going to make it. I returned to Abyei to exercise my right to vote and to see my family, or what is left of it, “Ramadan says, while trying to spot his uncle in the crowd that has gathered to welcome the returnees. In September this year, the South Sudanese government started airlifting South Sudanese returnees from North Sudan into the contested border region. So far more than 6,000 people have returned to participate in a referendum that will allow the population of Abyei to decide whether the regions should stay a specially administered zone within Sudan, or join the independent state of South Sudan. "When I heard the authorities were flying people to Abyei, I immediately asked my boss for an early holiday. A week later I boarded a flight to Agok," says Ramadan. Independence Ramadan has not seen his family since he left Abyei in 2008, after clashes had erupted between the Sudanese army and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). "After the 2005 peace agreement that ended the civil war, we were all waiting for the referendum," Ramadan says. "Instead the fighting resumed. Antonov planes flew in over our heads. The UN set up camps for the displaced. We went to stay with my uncle thinking that the fighting would stop, but the forces from Khartoum kept coming back. I still remember the many injured and the tens of thousands fleeing." Ramadan went to South Sudanese capital Juba to continue his studies in computer science. "Juba at that time was a mess," he says. "I decided to transfer to the University of Khartoum and come back when things had settled down." In 2011 Abyei was meant to vote on whether to be part of Sudan or South Sudan on the same day as Juba voted overwhelmingly to split from the north. But the referendum never took place. (Back To Top)

SPLM dissolution, a step in the right direction Sudantribune.com Juba, 25/11/2013 – From the inception of the SPLM/A on May 15th, 1983 until January 9th, 2005 Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) championed a liberation struggle to free marginalized citizens of Greater Sudan, particularly the people of South Sudan who had continuously been subjected to all ills including genocide, enslavement, neglect, scorch-earth displacement, destruction of property, among others, by successive regimes in Khartoum. After 21 years of long struggle, people of South Sudan lost over 2.5 million lives while more than 4 million others were displaced either internally or to foreign countries around the globe. When the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in Kenya in 2005, South Sudanese breathed sigh of relief and hoped for complete realization of freedom, justice, development, and long awaited provision of economic and social services, irrespective of regions, tribes or political affiliation. Indeed, people of South Sudan believed that if SPLM/SPLA, which was able to liberate them from oppressors who instituted system of marginalization and destruction one could think of in the whole

16 world, then there were greater chances for rapid rebuilding and improvement of livelihoods in new Republic of South Sudan under SPLM. Although there are tangible progress made thus far in areas of governance and infrastructure, citizens are not satisfied yet due to a slow pace of expected rapid growth in the fertile and rich country of ours, eight good years after CPA. The slow and almost stagnate developmental progress in the country has different interpretations in different quarters. For example, citizens of South Sudan blame entire government for lack of essential economic and social services while all South Sudanese political parties put the blame squarely on the ruling party, the SPLM. Within SPLM leadership, however, the blame is apportioned to either the Chairman of party or senior officials under the Chairman, particularly the Secretary General or two Deputy Chairmen. And blame game continuous in a vicious circle. This article examines roles of four most senior SPLM officials: the Chairman, two Deputies and Secretary General. It also focuses on who is responsible among the big four for alleged failures of the government in general and SPLM Party in particular. It then concludes with why dissolution of paralyzed and malfunctioning SPLM structures is justified move and a step to a right direction. First and foremost, the author has chosen to exclude second Deputy Chairman, Cde.James Wani Igga, from failures analysis herein simply because he has been neutral or at rare occasions constructively criticized both the government and SPLM as systems. Therefore, Cde Wani’s exclusion leaves only three senior SPLM officials on score card. These are: the Chairman, Cde Salva Kiir Mayardit; First Deputy, Cde. Dr. Riek Machar Teny; and former Secretary General, Cde. Pagan Amum Ukech. The question is, who is the weakest link over alleged SPLM failures? Let’s examine these leaders one by one. Chairman of SPLM Party, President Salva Kiir Mayardit SPLM has as a ruling Party is tasked with enormous responsibility of forging and shaping the identity and better future of the Republic of South Sudan. This being the case, roles for running the affairs of the new Nation was divided among the top echelon of the Party. In this regard, SPLM Chairman, Salva Kiir was primarily given momentous role of running the whole country. In my opinion, Mr. Chairman has succeeded in his work. For instance, out of stumbling blocks laid by National Congress Party government in Khartoum, President Kiir ensured successful implementation of most clauses of CPA, conduct of 2010 General Elections, historic referendum vote and attainment of long cherished independence on July 9th, 2011. If these are not great achievements, then I am willing to be informed by Chairman’s arch-critics otherwise. Therefore, wild accusations that are being unfairly labelled against SPLM Chairman for the Party’s loss of "vision and direction" are not justified since these accomplishments constitute the cornerstone of our people’s aspiration. It is therefore imperative that the people of South Sudan, regardless of their political affiliations, should give President Kiir due credit he rightfully deserves. Had he failed to remain focus on the big picture, which was our independence, South Sudan could be in a different undesirable situation right now. First Deputy Chairman of SPLM party, Dr. Riek Machar Teny As a second man in command both in Government of the Republic of South Sudan and SPLM party, former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar was expected to manage his time effectively and efficiently for a smooth running of the two institutions. In SPLM Party, he was expected to assume a leading role since SPLM Chairman was evidently engaged in attending to urgent matters nationally, regionally and internationally. Instead of playing a positive role in the party as a teammate with his Chairman, nevertheless, he chose the opposite side and acted as a critic in a system he should have rectified himself. For instance, Dr. Machar was publicly seen, heard and read embarking on smearing campaign against the Chairman and SPLM party, technically violating SPLM constitution and members’ code of conduct. In my opinion, if there are people to blame for SPLM failures, Dr. Riek would be among prime suspects. As Deputy Chairman of the ruling Party, SPLM, Dr. Riak should have played a more enabling and increasing role in resolving internal problems of the SPLM rather than resorting to public criticism of the Chairman which essentially undermines the very principles upon which this Party founded.

17 Secretary General of SPLM party, Pagan Amum Ukiech Cde. Pagan was chief administrator of SPLM party commanding all Secretariats both at national and States levels. He was also Secretary for Political Bureau (PB) and National Liberation Council (NLC), the highest executive and legislative organs, respectively. If Cde. Pagan was committed, faithful, and loyal to the party and leadership, he would have solved problems that faced and still face SPLM today. The irony is that Cde. Pagan was secretly nursing his plans to take over the party’s leadership as he recently declared his intention to unseat incumbent Chairman to pave his way to become a presidential candidate for 2015 elections. Pagan’s conducts prior to his suspension were deliberate attempts to undermine SPLM Chairman’s efforts to move South Sudan to the next developmental level and prosperity. This became clear when he finally made his intentions to run against the Chairman using the failures he himself created as the reasons for wanting to unseat Chairman of the SPLM. For a long time now, I felt defeated by Pagan’s endless complaints about SPLM failures when he should squarely be held responsible for any failure in the SPLM. This is because Cde Pagan was the Chief Administrator tasked with running day to day affairs of the SPLM, yet instead of discharging his duties in service of our people, he deliberately masterminds all pitfalls that SPLM went through and is going through currently. Given what we know, Cde Pagan is the prime cause of all internal problems SPLM is facing today. His suspension is not enough; he should be held accountable for deliberately trying to destroy this peoples’ Party which liberated people of South Sudan from oppressors, for his individual’s interests. Considering facts lay out above, Cde Pagan was the weakest link in the SPLM Party, period. Dissolution of paralyzed and malfunctioning SPLM structures The decision by the SPLM Chairman to dissolve the SPLM structures is the right thing to do. Status quo was not viable given open rebellion against the Chairman which was sometimes orchestrated through activities aimed at failing the Party. As such, SPLM had reached a point where it could not longer operate as an organization specially when its Chief Administrator and First Deputy Chairman began criticizing a system they are leading publicly. The dissolution of SPLM structures will enable the Party to reaffirm its vision, mission, direction and political cohesiveness. Additionally, it will rejuvenate commitment and loyalty among members toward Party principles and ideals which are now openly being violated at will. I should strongly recommend that the formation of next structures should be carefully done in order to select loyal and committed cadres who will respect Party policies and carry out their assigned duties diligently and faithfully so that our people are able to reap the fruit of their long struggle, a cause that can only be championed by the SPLM party.

Sabrino Majok Majok is a member of South Sudan’s ruling SPLM and can be reached via [email protected] (Back To Top)

South Sudan destabilizing new economic policy Sudantribune.com, 25/11/2013 – Why new economic policy or tisaconomics is more destabilizing to the country than past austerity measures or kosterity There is no question, the sacking by President Salva Kiir Mayardit of his cabinet last July 2013, and swearing in of new government, was received in the streets of Juba and across the cities of the nation with great jubilation and optimism. The move has raised hopes that the President has finally resolved to lead from the front as opposed to leading from the rear, a style the President has adopted since coming to power in 2005. Unlike his predecessor, Dr. John Garang De Mabior, President Salva Kiir Mayardit is known for his delegatory and consensual approach to leadership. He allows plenty of space for national ministers to craft and implement their own policies with little or no intervention. Dr. John Garang, in contrast, led from the front and was a micro-manager who left nothing to chance. While many may miss Garang’s leadership style, a significant opinion amongst the citizens admire Kiir’s delegatory

18 approach as more democratic; given the potential of empowering his officials to be autonomous, creative, and innovative. Still some view this as weakness and lack of confidence to give clear directive to ministers and to follow through with implementation; although these are in minority. The majority of citizens I have spoken to insist that it is a sign of self-confidence and secure leadership. All the same, the jury is still out. That said, leading from the hind might have caused President Kiir’s government more pains than gains. It has rarely worked as might have been expected. Take as an example how his cabinet voted unanimously to shut down oil production in January 2013, following the dispute with Sudan over the amount of fees to be paid for export of South Sudan oil. The decision stunned the citizens, friends, and even foes in equal measure. Few could comprehend how a nation that depends on oil revenue to fund 98% of its programmes could allow such a decision to pass. Some rumors had it that the President was opposed to shutdown, but relented to the decision of majority in the cabinet. The President could have simply overruled the cabinet with his veto powers. For example, the US President Abraham Lincoln was once said to have overruled his cabinet saying: "I count one yes and six no. The yes wins!" After that decision, austerity measures had to be imposed on all government spending. These measures came to be known as Kosterity measures after Kosti Manibu, the then Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. As if it was not bad enough, after shutdown of oil production, months of negotiations passed without any hope of agreement being reached with Sudan over oil transit fees. Thanks to President Kiir’s delegatory leadership that allowed the now suspended SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, to drag the negotiations on indefinitely with no sign of comprise, while the austerity measures continued to bite the nation harder and harder, and the relationship with the neighbouring Sudan continued to go from bad to worst. It was that kind of indecision that prompted Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to pressurize Juba saying: "Percentage of something is better than percentage of nothing." However, it was after President Kiir Mayardit personal intervention that things began to look up again. Following Kiir-Bashir summit, a cooperation agreement with Sudan was struck in Addis Ababa in September 2012, and as a consequence, production of oil from South Sudan oil fields resumed in April 2013. What’s more, President Kiir moved quickly and (rightly so) to repair relations with Sudan so that trading and flights could resume between the two countries by reaching an understanding with President Bashir on measures that would reduce tensions, such as relating to the trading of accusations of support of armed dissidents from each country. It was completely results-based leadership: effective and self-evident. It was also a testimony to the fact that when leaders ignore the pleas for consensus in critical matters, and follow their guts, success can easily come their way. But sadly, President Kiir’s pains are far from over. No sooner has the President passed over one crisis – that of austerity, and oil shutdown; has another crisis begun to peer out its ugly head. This is the new crisis in the making, caused by none other than economic policies currently being unveiled by the Ministry of Finance, under the leadership of Mr. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni. This, we will call Tisaconomics. According to the policy adopted by Mr. Sabuni, austerity measures will continue until January 2014 when new and more generous supplementary budget will be submitted. In October 2013, the Parliament passed an austerity budget of SSP 19.0 billion with the plan of borrowing SSP 4.5 billion or USD 1.6 billion to bridge a gap in that budget. Interestingly enough, this budget was three times higher than that under Kosterity measures in July 2012, and the highest since the nation gained its independence in July 2011. However, in the past week or so, the Bank of South Sudan issued an order to raise the exchange rate of dollar against South Sudan pound from SSP 2.93 (bank rate) to SSP 4.5 (the black or so called parallel market rate). The markets were shocked and the rate of exchange of SSP in the black market jumped from SSP 4.5 to between SSP 5.00 and SSP 6.00. Fuel disappeared from petrol

19 stations, and supermarkets and warehouses for building materials closed their doors in panic, as traders tried to figure out how to respond. This is because in South Sudan, majority of traders access dollar through black markets as opposed to Central Bank. Following that, the Parliament summoned the head of BoSS, Mr. Kornelio Koryom Mayik, the next day, and ordered him to reverse the decision with immediate effect. And he did. The rate of exchange of dollar went back to SSP 4.6 immediately which was slightly higher but close to its pre- decision rate. The explanation provided by the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank was that the government would like to raise an additional SSP 4.5 billion needed to finance the hole in the approved budget in order to meet the budget shortage by devaluing South Sudan pound by 38%, as opposed to borrowing externally, as was initially proposed. That decision was greeted with dismay nationwide, and Isaac Cuir Riak, Professor of Economics at University of Bahr El Ghazal, reacted by describing it as "misplaced" because, according to his analysis, the devaluation could lead to inflation in prices of imported consumer goods, and could push more people below poverty line. Many other commentators and economists also condemned the decision describing it as abrupt and not well scrutinized. And as weeks and months passed since the Parliament approved the new budget, the country is going for two months without paying the salaries of civil servants, academics, doctors, nurses, and teachers. Ministries and government agencies have not received any of their allocation for services and operation to up to the time of this writing, thus risking bringing the country to near standstill. The question that imposes itself is: Is it not truly ironic that the financial situation in the country is deteriorating by the day at the time when oil money is following into government’s coffers? Thus, one is bound to conclude that if Kosterity had weakened the government of South Sudan ability to provide services the citizens need, Tisaconomics which appears to lack direction and is incapable of taking prompt decisions is threatening the country with social and political upheavals that could lead to igniting an African Spring in form of mass action across the country. The eyes are again focused on President Kiir Mayardit to intervene and diffuse the situation by directing the Finance Ministry to take immediate remedial action. These times are critical times, and the President is more than able to rise to these challenges at this juncture in the life of the nation. Dr. John Apuruot Akec is the Vice Chancellor of University of Northern Bahr El Ghazal in South Sudan, and Chairperson of Academics and Researchers Forum for Development (ARFD), an academics-led think-tank registered as NGO in South Sudan. He edits a personal blog at: www.JohnAkecSouthSudan.blogspot.com (Back To Top)

South Sudan parliament and Abyei referendum Sudantribune.com, 25/11/2013 – After the people of Abyei announced the results of their referendum on 31st October, the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly applauded the outcome and the way the referendum was conducted. While the official position of the government of South Sudan is yet to be made clear and public, the Council of States of Sudan has resolved to condemn and reject the outcome of Abyei referendum. The real question is for how long will the Government of South Sudan remains silent or ambivalent on the outcome of Abyei referendum? Given the dilemma facing the government of South Sudan not to make its position public, the national legislature of South Sudan should come up with a resolution that would reflect the will of the people of South Sudan on the outcome of Abyei referendum. There are strong and compelling reasons why the national legislature should recognize the outcome of Abyei referendum. It is undisputable fact that Abyei area as defined by the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration is a territory of South Sudan that was administratively transferred by the colonial administration from South Sudan to Sudan in 1905. The aim of such transfer was to protect the Ngok Dinka from Arab slave raids and to ease administration and collection of taxes. The Ngok Dinka of Abyei was not consulted when such administrative transfer was made. Before the independence of Sudan, the colonial administration according to its annual report of 1951/1952 on the administration of Sudan granted the Ngok Dinka of Abyei the right to return back

20 to the administration of the South after five (5) years. In pursuit of this right, the Abyei youth sent their representatives to Fulla in Kordofan in 1954 to raise with the colonial administration their exercise of the right to return back to the administration of the South, but they were arrested. Subsequently, the right to return to the South was not exercised by the Ngok Dinka within the specified period. During the first civil war, the Ngok Dinka participated very well in the liberation struggle for the independence of South Sudan. People like Akonon Mathiang, Ayok Deng, Dominic Kuol and Dodol Nyang to mention few from Abyei played a great role in the first civil war. In particular Akonon Mathiang made a remarkable contribution in Bahr El Ghazal as he became a commander of Gogrial, Tonj, Lakes and Northern Bahr el Ghazal where he succeeded to cut the rail link between the North and South. Also Dominic Kuol was among the three officers accompanied Captain Bernardino Mou who was sent to launch the military operations in Bahr el Ghazal region and they succeeded to attack Wau in January 1964. During the negotiations of Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972, the South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) demanded administrative transfer of Abyei area back to South Sudan as it was transferred administratively by the colonial administration from the South to North. In resolving the issue of Abyei, the Addis Ababa Agreement defined the region of South Sudan with its boundaries as they stood on January 1, 1956, and any other areas that were culturally and geographically a part of Southern Complex as may be decided by a referendum. This right of referendum for the Ngok Dinka was denied by Sudan. In the South, the intellectuals of Abyei in Juba joined the “wind of change” movement because of their unhappiness with Abel Alier, the first president of the Southern Regional Government, over his lukewarm towards the conduct of Abyei referendum. This movement targeted the presidency of Abel Alier and endorsed the presidency of the former Anya Nya leader, Mr Joseph Lagu with the hope he would stand firmer than Abel Alier in challenging President Nimeiri on the issue of Abyei. In recognition of the role played by people of Abyei in the first civil war, Dr Zacharia Bol was elected to the Southern parliament for the seat of graduates in the 1978 elections and then elected as deputy speaker of the parliament. The newly elected parliament passed a resolution to annex Abyei area to the territory of Southern Region. However, the newly elected president of the Southern Region, Mr. Joseph Lagu did not act on this resolution. In the elections of 1980, the intellectuals of Abyei, after being disappointed by the inaction of Mr. Joseph Lagu on the resolution of the parliament, decided to support Abel Alier for the presidency of the regional government. Abel Alier was overwhelmingly elected as the president of the regional government and he formed his government which included Dr Zacharia Bol as a regional minister of health. The newly elected Regional Assembly passed again a resolution to annex Abyei area to the territory of the South and asked President Abel Alier to forward this resolution to the central government for implementation. Learning from his previous experience as the president of the regional government, Abel Alier was firmer this time and he courageously raised the issue of Abyei among other issues with the central government. Annoyed by the position adopted by president Abel Alier, President Nimeriri dismissed in 1981 the regional government and regional assembly and appointed Mr. Gissmallah Abdalla Rassas to oversee the process of dismantling the Addis Ababa Agreement and the division of the South. It is also a common knowledge that the second civil war started in Abyei and people of Abyei played a great role in the second liberation struggle. People like Miokol Deng and Bagat Agwek to mention few from Abyei played a critical role in the formation of Anya Nya II in Bahr el Ghazal and that contributed in shaping the early formation of SPLM and its leadership in the early 1980s. During the CPA negotiations, the SPLM/SPLA took a similar stance as that of SSLM in 1972 of demanding administrative transfer of Abyei to South Sudan. The SPLM/SPLA accepted simultaneous conduct of Abyei referendum with that of South Sudan to ensure that Abyei is not left out. When Sudan refused the conduct of Abyei referendum, the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms prepared themselves to declare their decision to become part of South Sudan on 9th January 2011,

21 the first day of the conduct of Southern Sudan Referendum. However, the SPLM intervened and convinced the people of Abyei not to take such decision and not to jeopardize a peaceful conduct of Southern Sudan Referendum. The Government of South Sudan accepted the AU Proposal on the final status of Abyei including the conduct of Abyei referendum in October 2013. President Salva, after failing to convince President Bashir to accept the AU Proposal on Abyei, wrote to the AU that he reached stalemate with Bashir over Abyei. The South Sudan Parliament, after the assassination of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief Kuol Deng, resolved on 24th June 2013 to call upon the Government of South Sudan to ensure the conduct of Abyei referendum in October 2013. After exhausting all avenues and waiting in vain for the conduct of their referendum by international community, the people of Abyei conducted their referendum as proposed by the AU and decided with overwhelming majority of 99.98% to become part of South Sudan. If Southern Sudan Regional Assembly within united Sudan and without a referendum could boldly resolve in 1978 and 1981 to annex Abyei area to Southern Sudan, the current South Sudan Parliament in a new independent country is in a far better position not only to recognize the outcome of the referendum but also to ensure its implementation. In fact the recognition of the outcome of Abyei Referendum by South Sudan Parliament is urgent and necessary as it will provide a clear direction to the government of South Sudan. Although the Government of South Sudan has implicitly recognized the outcome of Abyei referendum, the resolution by the parliament to recognize the outcome will strengthen the position of the government in engaging with Sudan, African Union and international community. With such recognition, the Government of South Sudan will then adopt appropriate measures including diplomatic outreach to realize the full implementation of the popular decision of the Ngok Dinka of Abyei area. Luka Biong Deng is a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, USA, he is also a senior member of South Sudan’s ruling party the SPLM and a former Co-Chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee. He can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected] (Back To Top)

The wars are not over Strategypage.com, 25/11/2013 – South Sudan has not paid many government workers for over 60 days. The government said that some workers may not get checks for another 120 days – or more. Why? The mortgage is overdue, almost literally. During the long oil production shutdown, South Sudan took out several bridge loans, worth between five and six billion dollars. South Sudan was engaged in an economic war with Sudan, which was charging South Sudan exorbitant oil transport fees for the use of its pipelines. South Sudan finally quit producing oil. Both countries desperately needed, and still need, the revenue from oil exports and, in Sudan’s case, the transport fees. Now the lenders are demanding repayment. The South Sudan government believes it will eventually be able to reimburse its civil servants. November 23, 2013: Several thousand refugees have fled into South Sudan from Sudan’s Blue Nile state. The refugees came from villages in Blue Nile’s Bau region (centered on the town of Bau). The refugees had walked for 8 days and feared attacks by the Sudanese Army while doing so. Around 200,000 Sudanese from Blue Nile and South Kordofan states are refugees in South Sudan. Another 30,000 to 35,000 are in refugee camps in Ethiopia. November 22, 2013: The SPLM-N (Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North) and JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) rebels attacked a Sudanese Army convoy in South Kordofan state between Abu Zabad and Al Shiffar. The JEM is allied with the SPLM-N in the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). November 21, 2013: Five people were killed and 25 wounded in a shootout near the town of Mershing in Sudan’s South Darfur state. The firefight erupted after a business dispute involving a member of the Popular Defense Forces (PDF) militia turned violent. The firefight escalated when Sudanese Army soldiers were fired upon.

22 Satellite imagery has confirmed a series of firefights during November in and around the Sudanese own of Abu Zabad (West Kordofan and South Kordofan border area). The imagery included craters caused by air-dropped bombs, which means the Sudanese Air Force was involved. November 19, 2013: Militiamen from the Darfuri Taisha and Salamat tribes fought another battle, this time near the Abuzar refugee camp in Central Darfur state. At least 30 people were killed. The Taisha have allied with the semi-nomadic Misseriya tribe, which claims pasturage rights and citizenship rights in the disputed Abyei region. There have been at least three attacks, leaving eight dead, along the border between the disputed Abyei region and South Sudan’s Unity state. The South Sudan government is investigating and found residents claiming that the man who organized the attacks lives in Abyei. November 17, 2013: In South Kordofan state JEM rebels attacked soldiers outside the town of Abu Zabad. November 16, 2013: Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has forced three senior members of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to resign. Reformers within the NCP are advocating major economic and political policy changes. The three men Bashir removed had stated publicly that they would form a new political party to push reform. Bashir remains under indictment for war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC). November 15, 2013: Over 400,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Darfur during the past year. Remember, at one time the UN (and others) said the war in Darfur was over. It isn’t. November 11, 2013: Sudan said that its military forces were preparing to launch a major offensive against rebels in South Kordofan state. November 10, 2013: A group of Sudanese reformers in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said that the government needs to reinstate payment of fuel subsidies. The price of gasoline in Khartoum has doubled since late September. Militias from the Taisha and Salamat tribes engaged in a series of battles in South Darfur state. This took place between the city of Nyala and a town (Rahad el Berdi)100 kilometers away. Some of the fighting included vehicles armed with heavy machine guns as well as rocket and artillery fire. The tribes have been fighting over land rights and pasturage. Several violent anti-government protests erupted in the Sudanese town of Abu-Hamad (Nahr al- Neel state). November 9, 2013: The UN urged Sudan to end the flogging for women accused of immoral behavior. In Sudan women have been flogged for allegedly having premarital sex, committing adultery, and wearing indecent clothing. November 7, 2013: South Sudan is sending 500 more soldiers to Western Equatoria state after a series of alleged attacks by the Ugandan rebel Lords Resistance Army (LRA). Raids have occurred in two counties, Ezzo and Tamburo, and an unknown number of people have been abducted. The attackers also looted property (Back to Top)

Here comes the shocking stupidity again: The "shock therapy" experiment imposed on South Sudan Al Bawaba.com, 26/11/2013 – For the starters, Central Bank of South Sudan issued a circular entitled “Exchange Rate Reforms” [2] on 11 November 2013 to devalue its currency from about 3.16SSP/$1 to 4.5SSP/$1 with goal of unifying the official and black market exchange rates, thereby achieving its immediate target of lowering “short-term exchange rate volatility” and clamping down on “rent-seeking behavior” as well as stimulating the economy. This policy proved unsuccessful, and provoked public outcry over fuel shortage and price hikes [3] of other consumer goods. This trend of events compelled the National Legislative Assembly to intervene and order the reversal of the devaluation. The CBSS leadership has diffidently obliged. First, was unification of the official and parallel market overdue and a worthy goal? The answer is absolutely affirmative. Second, economics theory is nicer to any currency devaluation save its

23 unintended consequences in an open economy setting. Currency devaluation of domestic currency is theorized to improve the balance of payments as well as boosting economic activity. Devaluation is likened to increase in money supply which makes local currency cheaper relative to foreign currency. It is hypothesized to disfavor imports and positively impact exports. This chain of monetary reactions is posited to bring about positive net exports which bear positively on the gross domestic product. Third, price stability is one of the goals of the central bank. So, if the central bank's independence over management of the monetary policy and achieving price stability is not in question and the theory predicts that currency devaluation is a good thing for the economy in the long run, then what is all this fuss about, especially the public outcry shattering the airwaves and the “corridors of powers” in Juba? I would argue that the public outcry is justified and that the CBSS has erred in its approach to carrying out currency devaluation. Approach to Devaluation: Shock Therapy [4] Vs Gradualism? While everyone would agree with the goal of unifying the two rates, the application of the “shock therapy” overnight was ill-advised because rapid devaluation can produce economic shocks. What CBSS did in essence was to decrease the original currency value by 150% from 3SSP/$ to 4.5SSP/$1. This is a huge change bearing in mind that South Sudan is, generally speaking, an importing economy. Second, it was unwise to “blindly follow” the black market rates. If the black market rate is 4.5SSP/$1 today, what would prevent it from reaching 10SSP/$1 the day after or next week? Have they thought about the consequences of the disequilibrium in the currency markets and how that may lead to price instability, something they were trying to avoid in the first place? Quite frankly, such abrupt devaluation was destined to choke off the import market since it will now be prohibitive to import from East Africa. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that such devaluation is going to be painful to many people; inevitably they will rise up in arms. They surely did! If history is anything to go by, CBSS should have approached this by taking a leaf from other countries. While some people see the case of Poland as vindication of “shock therapy”, good and reasonable people also believe that sudden currency devaluation can have catastrophic effects. It was what largely got Mexico into currency crisis in 1994. Therefore, the CBSS should know or should have known that large and sudden devaluation would negatively reverberate in the economy and as thus, they should have devalued the currency gradually by few percentage points, one at a time. Nonexistence of Export Sector in South Sudan CBSS was bold in believing that devaluation would improve the balance of payments manifolds and stimulate the economy but they failed to account for the fact that South Sudan has no export sector. That South Sudan has no export sector to compensate for the loss in imports should have given the CBSS pause before abruptly devaluing the currency. The gradualist approach would have not backfired as the “big bang” approach just did. Lack of Clarity in Communicating Monetary Policy to the Public So while unifying the two exchange rates was necessary, the manner in which it was done was ill-considered. Gradualism as opposed to shock therapy would have taken South Sudan a more prudent path toward the unity of the two markets. Secondly, CBSS fumbled the message and failed to communicate clearly to the oversight body and the public. Sadly, with the reversal, CBSS is more bruised than before or its credibility has been dented, dare I say? This lack of clarity is a bad PR and it does not augur well with the tenets of central independence in matters of monetary policy. Existence of Questionable Currency Exchange Bureaus Finally, this policy prescription was not going to work. In fact, it was destined to die on arrival because of the “currency quota” factor. As long as CBSS continues to allocate dollars to foreign exchange bureaus whose aim is to flood the black market with those dollars, this “devaluation” was an exercise in futility. A story is in order. Some months after the independence, those who were trading in dollars on the street were

24 asked to register or get arrested. But like everything else in south Sudan, this policy was never enforced. The black market is proving lucrative to some people in power and who concoct up stories to get dollars at the official rate only to turn around and sell them at black market rates. What is to be done? Generally speaking, it is good to recognize that monetary policy does operate in an environment where politics, economics and other factors interact to impose certain constraints on economic actors. A prudent policy maker must try to anticipate some of these countervailing factors. Second, in least developed countries where the economic fundamentals are usually weak, including high inflation rate such as the case in South Sudan; where there is a fixed exchange regime with local currency artificially pegged to US dollars; and where citizens lack confidence in the national currency due to exchange rate volatility, currency black markets are a typical regularity. They form part of what is referred to as “underground economy” because the latter falls outside the purview of regulatory agencies such as central banks. Therefore, knowing that black markets do exist in countries such as South Sudan, it would have been prudent for the central bank to come up with practical monetary policy that aims to instill confidence in the local currency as well as making sure that spot trading in foreign currencies is brought under control. It is an eyesore to see just anyone on the street at Customs market or Jubek Memorial market carrying dollars, pounds or both waiting to dump them whenever they hear the wind of dollars falling. What Should CBSS Do Fast Forward? The CBSS should not call it quits but continue to innovate and work harder to unify the two exchange rates through: clearly communicating the monetary policy stance to the public as much as possible working with Parliament to clampdown on the illegal currency trading, enforce commonsense market-enhancing regulations, undertake credible reforms within the CBSS and finally, learning one or two lessons about currency management from other developing countries, including East Africa. In summary, the CBSS was justified in endeavoring to unify the official and parallel market rates. However, the application of shock therapy without thinking about how the consequences of devaluation would play out, and failing to clearly communicate the policy intervention to the public have, in my view, bruised the credibility of the CBSS. It remains to be seen whether CBSS has learned from this experience. Else it would have been the story of yet another crisis gone to waste. James Alic Garang is a doctoral of economic studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is a co-founder and scholar at The Sudd Institute, an independent research think Tank in South Sudan. He can be reached at: [email protected] (Back To Top)

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United Nations Mission in South Sudan - Public Information Office www.unmiss.unmissions.org UN House Juba 03, P.O. Box 29, Juba, South Sudan 25