United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Media & Spokesperson Unit Communications & Public Information Office MEDIA MONITORING REPORT FRIDAY, 2 AUGUST 2013 SOUTH SUDAN • Kiir reinstates officials suspended over corruption allegations (Sudantribune.com) • Cabinet dissolution, formation political development (Easter Radio) • Vice President should have been appointed before cabinet: Onyoti (Radio Miraya) • Civil society calls for woman Vice President (Radio Miraya) • More than 100 thousand people need urgent medical care in Jonglei (Catholic Radio Network) • Two Radio Miraya journalists released, ordered to report back to security (Gurtong.net) • Poaching, conflict hinder South Sudan’s tourism (Bakhita Radio) • Uganda, South Sudan to block strong liquor trade (Gurtong.net) • South Sudan set to pay pensioners (Gurtong.net) • Rain threatens to make South Sudan roads impassable, says UNOCHA (Sudantribune.com) • Man sentenced to 10 years for murdering wife (Radio Miraya) • Minister warns against late coming (Gurtong.net) SOUTH SUDAN/SUDAN • Over 1,500 register for voluntary repatriation to Abyei (Radio Miraya) OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Sudan’s Bashir holds surprise meeting with Gosh, visits Turabi (Sudantribune.com) • U.N. warns it will disarm Congo rebels (New York Times) • Farmers not benefiting from crop exports – Minister (Tanzania Daily News) OPINION/ANALYSIS/COMMENTARIES/EDITORIAL • Analysis of the current appointment of the National Ministers in South Sudan (South Sudan News Agency) • Kiir’s perilous gamble (Al-Ahram Weekly) • The 8th Anniversary of Dr Garang: A reflection on the SPLM (Sudantribune.com) • Africa: The UN in 2023 (IRIN) LINKS TO STORIES FROM THE MORNING MEDIA MONITOR • U.N. urges cabinet to forge national unity, respect rights (Gurtong) • Rain threatens to make South Sudan roads impassable, says UNOCHA (Sudantribune.com) • Opposition says new cabinet lacks inclusiveness (Bakita Radio) • UDF calls for release of 75 listed corrupt officials (Bakita Radio) • Lawyer: South Sudan’s weak institutions pose a problem for the new cabinet ( Eyeradio.org) • South Sudan welcomes appointment of Jonglei Governor as new defense minister (Allafrica.com) • Citizens welcome new cabinet (Catholic Radio Network) • South Sudan's Salva Kiir excludes Riek Machar from cabinet (BBC News) • UN mission ready to work with new Cabinet of South Sudan (Xinhua) • EU, Ethiopia confer on Sudan-South Sudan concerns (Sudantribune.com) • Sudan, South Sudan agree to deploy joint forces along common border (BBC News) • South Sudan, Uganda Border Communities’ Sign Peace Accord (Gurtong.net) • Great Lakes to discuss Sudan’s complaint on Ugandan support to rebels (Sudantribune.com) • JEM attacked Sudanese army not UN mission in South Kordofan – rebels (Sudnatribune.com) 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. Highlights Kiir reinstates officials suspended over corruption allegations Sudantribune.com Juba, 1/8/2013 – South Sudan president, Salva Kiir has reinstated two senior administrators suspended from his office over corruption allegations, nearly four months back. The president, in April, suspended Mayen Wol, a chief administrator in office and Yel Luol, an executive director after huge sums of money in both foreign and local currencies went missing from the presidency. Also suspended was Nhomout Agoth Cithiik, the accounts controller in the same office. "In spite of the gravity of the crime, there was a remarkable indecision from the senior staff in the OoP [Office of the President] to report the matter to the authorities or even enhance security on site," the report criticised. But Kiir, in a rather bizarre move, reinstated Wol and Luol to their previous positions, raising questions over his rhetoric commitment in anti-corruption in two-year old nation. The two officials, removed through a presidential decree issued in April, were recently seen chairing a meeting in the president’s office, leaving many astonished. It however remains unclear why the president reinstated the duo, contrary to the recommendations in the investigation report, which demanded administrative measures against the suspects. The incident comes hardly a week after Kiir sacked Peter Gol Mayen, the finance and administration director in his office. The presidential order, read on the state-owned SSTV, gave no reason for the official’s removal. (Back to Top) Cabinet dissolution, formation political development Easter Radio, 1/8/2013 – Yei Civil Society Organization Forum said the President’s dissolution and formation of the new cabinet is a political development in the country. Chairman Nicholas Sebit Philip told Easter Radio that the ministries reduction would facilitate services delivery to people. He said ministerial positions are political because the president can any time dissolves and appoints. Mr Sebit praised the vice president and all dismissed ministers for being patriotic without causing chaos in the country. The chairman said the security was normal and that people should not fear political development in the country. (Back to Top) Vice President should have been appointed before cabinet: Onyoti Radio Miraya, 1/8/2013 – The leader of the minority in the national parliament, Onyoti Adigo, said President Kiir should have named the Vice President before announcing the new cabinet. President Salva Kiir has announced his new cabinet on Wednesday with the exception of the Vice President and the Minister in the Office of the President. Adigo told Radio Miraya on Thursday, the Vice President should have been the first appointment to enable consultation on the formation of the new government. “It is very unfortunate because in fact the Vice President should have been appointed and then make consultations in appointing the ministers. But now the President has appointed these people alone without consultation,” he said. “In political appointments the Vice President should come first but now it is the opposite. The President has appointed the ministers without the Vice President. I don’t know how the cabinet will be running without the Vice President.” (Back to Top) 2 Civil society calls for woman Vice President Radio Miraya, 1/8/2013 – A civil society activist in Juba has urged President Salva Kiir to appoint a woman to the position of Vice President. The new cabinet has only two women, Jemma Nunu who was re-appointed as Minister of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning and Awut Deng Makuei, the new Minister for Gender, Child and Social Welfare. Activist, Edmund Yakani, said women’s representation in the new appointments does not meet the promise of 25%. “We have only two and they do not represent 25% of 19, we need at least four or five women in the cabinet,” “There is need for affirmative action in the cabinet. We call upon our President to appoint for us a woman as Vice President.” (Back to Top) More than 100 thousand people need urgent medical care in Jonglei Catholic Radio Network, 2/8/2013 – An estimated 100 thousand people still have dangerously inadequate access to emergency medical care in Pibor County of Jonglei state. Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF Emergency Coordinator Katrin Kisswani in a statement said their mobile clinics treated more than 700 people in southern Pibor bush mostly suffering from respiratory tract infections, and malaria. She said “right now we are treating about 100 patients a day and we expect this to increase. Since19th July, a few – almost all women and children – have arrived with wounds that are clearly many days old.” Ms Kisswani said more than 25 thousand people started arriving at another MSF clinic in Gumuruk with almost nothing but many patients said they are still too afraid to return to towns. She said aid agencies were unable to cover their most basic needs. The Coordinator urged all parties to respect and facilitate the deployment of humanitarian aid to those in need across Jonglei State. (Back to Top) Two Radio Miraya journalists released, ordered to report back to security Gurtong.net Malakal, 1/8/2013 – The United Nation Mission In South Sudan’s (UNMISS) Radio Miraya correspondents arrested yesterday by the South Sudan National Police Security Services in Malakal were yesterday released and ordered to report back to the security today for investigations. Nyang Pal Touch and Simon Waky reporting for Radio Miraya were released last after being detained and intimidated by the state security services. The two journalists were also ordered to report back to security today for investigations. The two journalists were covering students and pupil’s peaceful demonstration in Malakal following the ongoing teachers’ strike. The students asked the government to pay their teachers so that they get their lessons in classes. According to the report published in May by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in early April 2013 in Malakal, Upper Nile state, police and NSS agents held a radio journalist for two hours and subjected him to verbal death threats. In December 2012, approximately 20 security officers from the state governor’s office detained a number of journalists for two hours after the journalists tried to collect information about a controversial vote in the state’s parliament. The officers confiscated the journalists’ mobile phones and identification documents and forced them to delete all the audio recordings they had made. No clear grounds were given for their detention. 3 During the Martyrs’ Day celebrations on Tuesday, security personnel confiscated ID card and telephone belonging to Simon Waki accusing him of connecting a widow representative to talk live on Radio Miraya’s program called ‘Inside South Sudan.’ “They have confiscated my items, the ID card and telephone. They said that why should I connect a widow representative on a live program on the radio. That is all. They even have not heard anything bad that I have reported,” said Waki before his arrest on Wednesday morning.