Winnie Cirino

Aluel Messi, wife of Humanitarian Minister Peter Mayen who recently assaulted her confirms she is safe at her father's house in Aweil. Activists today petitioned Minister for Gender, calling for dismissal of Peter Mayen.

The South Sudan Council of Churches says the ten years of South Sudan’s independence have been a wasted decade since little has been achieved in moving the country forward. In a statement released today the Council said millions of South Sudanese who in 2011 were proud of their independence now feel hopeless since many are dependent on humanitarian support because of continuing conflicts

Some South Sudanese are accusing the South African based MTN telecommunication mobile company of overcharging customers while offering what some clients call poor phone and internet service. Some residents say they feel they are not getting value for their money.

A major in the South Sudan Peoples Defense Force with a physical disability is accusing the minister of defense of ignoring his plea for financial support to undergo surgery for injuries on his leg sustained in the line of duty. Major Bol Macuor says he has been sent back several times by the minister for documents he submitted to the ministry of defense. The press secretary in the defense minister’s office denies the minister received any documents from Macuor

The head of the South Sudan Red Cross says the agency has suspended all of its humanitarian activities in Torit including mobilizing people to donate blood following an attack on eight of its staff members on Monday. The agency’s secretary general says the Red Cross will only resume its humanitarian activities when local authorities guarantee the safety of its staff.

Bishop of Kajokeji Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan is accusing armed cattle keepers suspected of being from Bor of attacking villagers in Kajokeji County’s Lire Payam last Sunday. The bishop says the gunmen looted an unspecified amount of money and stole personal effects from the villagers. 

A South Sudanese journalist has filed a case of alleged child trafficking against the country’s former petroleum minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth.  Koang Pal Chang says Gatkuoth took his children for DNA testing without his permission. Chang also says the former minister plans to send two of his children to join their mother in Australia.

President Salva Kiir yesterday reconstituted South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly, one day after he dissolved parliament in accordance with revitalized peace agreement. A Juba-based political analyst says South Sudanese should not expect much from the new parliament since most of the legislators were in the previous parliament. Some Juba residents say they hope the new parliament passes legislation that will improve security and spur development across the country.

South Sudan’s general education ministry has issued an order stopping private schools from increasing school fees this year. The deputy minister for general education told reporters in Juba on Thursday his ministry has received several complaints from parents across the country accusing private schools of charging exorbitant tuition fees and some schools demanding the fees be paid in dollars. A union representing private schools says it won’t abide by the ministerial order.

A new International Crisis Group report urges South Sudan’s leaders to consider a political model that uses consensus and inclusion to decide the country’s future. A Sudanese researcher at the International Crisis Group says although the 2018 peace deal signed by the country’s warring parties has subdued the war, it is not a long-term fix for South Sudan’s deeper problems. Winnie Cirino reports for VOA from Juba.

Despite a recent ban on social gatherings including prayers in churches and mosques by the National Task Force on Covid-19, some churches held Sunday prayer services. Winnie Cirino files this report for VOA from Juba.

Nearly 1,000 candidates from Jonglei, Upper Nile and Warrap states will miss this year’s Primary Leaving Examinations-which are beginning today- because of insecurity. South Sudan’s general education minister says security officials, especially in parts of Jonglei and Upper Nile states, denied ministry staff from accessing those areas. Winnie Cirino reports for VOA from Juba.

South Sudan’s environment and forestry ministry wants water bottling companies to pay a monthly environmental fee of 100,000 South Sudanese Pounds in addition to other taxes. An undersecretary in the environment ministry says the money will be used to contract people to collect and properly dispose off water bottles that are littered all over the streets of Juba. But some water companies’ managers are questioning the rationale behind the new tax.  Winnie Cirino reports for VOA from Juba.  

Some Juba residents and traders complain that the Juba City Council is not collecting garbage from the markets and streets. They say piles of garbage sitting in the streets for weeks affects their businesses and health. Traders say they pay monthly fees for garbage collection and wonder what the Council is doing with the money. The head of the Juba City Council says the body does not have enough equipment to manage garbage collection. Winnie Cirino has more for VOA from Juba

The row between Bishop Akurdid of the Jonglei Internal Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, the primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan has prompted another fight.  A bishop says he and another church leader were visiting Bor when security officials and church leaders allied to defrocked Bishop Akurdit forced them to return to Juba. Winnie Cirino reports for VOA from Juba.

Despite government restrictions on selling and using illicit drugs, residents and civil activists say there are youth in Juba that smoke marijuana and other substances openly. One activist says many youths in the capital smoke marijuana and urges the government to outlaw destructive drugs. Winnie Cirino has more for VOA from Juba.

A South Sudanese lady living with HIV virus, says her husband used to take antiretroviral (ARV) drugs everyday, but she didn't know they were drugs for HIV since the words were written in English, and she couldn't read english. #infectedbyhusband

An American Psychiatrist traing South Sudanese on how to overcome trauma healing

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