Oyee vs Viva: Who Will save South Sudan from this Senseless War?

By Benjamin Guarken Chiman, Juba, South Sudan

KiiRiek

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — War by definition, is a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state whereas, senseless, simply means, being unconscious of comatose. The world wars that have been fought many times were either justifiable or were simple being fought with comatose minds. Many leaders resort to war as last option when either table negotiation or mediation fails. Sometimes, these kinds might be accepted to be called justifiable wars.

However, some leaders drive their nations to war with other nations or with herself, maybe through internal influences or external influences. This type of war qualifies to be generously termed a senseless war, the war without benefits the war brought about by being comatose of ideas or leadership strategies. Many wise leaders or Politicians on varies occasions tend always to avoid wars as much as possible so that bitter war consequences are never tasted by themselves or by their fellow citizens. Nonetheless, this contemplation always requires experiences or free minds from all kinds of world’s vinegars!

The Unfortunate Orphans of the Vivacell Saga in South Sudan

The government of Juba shut down Vivacell operator Network Company

By Pal Chol Nyan, Juba, South Sudan

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — The government of Juba has shut down Vivacell network yesterday. The closure seems to be connected or marred by conflict of interests.  I was amazed at the fastest pace out of which the Vivacell operator network was shut down by the NCA on the stern orders from the above; rendering hundreds of thousands jobless and cutting of communication and business deals.

It was abruptly done as if the end was here with little did they know that it will have deleterious impacts on the employees. Now the employees will not be able to pay school fees for their children, feed their families, rent houses and meet other amenities.

Highly placed government source says the Company is supporting the FDs and they use their shares to fund what the source called their “subversive activities. The government spokesman said they were closing it down because the company does not want to reduce the calls tariffs and that it is not complying with the regulations of the government. The other narrative says the company owes the government some arrears of taxes.

The Choking Smoke of Hepatitis in South Sudan

By Awuol Gabriel Arok, Juba, South Sudan

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — The word Hepatitis is derived from the Greek hepar meaning “liver” and itis meaning “inflammation”. According to Wikipedia Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people have no symptoms whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes, poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Hepatitis may be temporary (acute) or long term (chronic) depending on whether it lasts for less than or more than six months. Acute hepatitis can sometimes resolve on its own, progress to chronic hepatitis, or rarely result in acute liver failure. Over time the chronic form may progress to scarring of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer.

The most common cause of hepatitis worldwide is viruses. Other causes include heavy alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, other infections and autoimmune disease.

Was Hon. Michael Makwei right to claim that there are no ‘youth leaders’ in South Sudan?

A youth leader, Justine Woje:  “If you people are not able to run the government, hand the government to the youth, the youth are ready to run this government tomorrow.”

Information Minister Michael Makwei: “There is no way you take away without learning from us first you must acquire the experience from us first. The fact that you are educated does not mean that you are experienced, so please don’t hurry little by little you take over because it is also a process, it is not an event.”

By Philip Thon Aleu, Juba, South Sudan

Information Minister Michael Makwei Lueth in old SPLM/A military uniform

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — Information Minister Makuei Lueth is quoted to have told reporters that youth have to learn before taking leadership from elders, triggering fierce criticism.

But looking at the basic requirements that may boost ‘youth’ as an alternative to elders, I don’t see anything. For starters, South Sudanese youth only meet in tribal, clans and regional associations. There’s no national, nongovernmental association control, run and own by youth without the support of elders.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit admits Leadership Failure in South Sudan

President Kiir Mayardit admits Leadership Failure: Is this declaration sufficient enough to help solve South Sudan’s economic collapse?

By Gen. Lemi Logwonga Lomuro (PhD)

Salva Kiir Mayaardit: The Joshua of South Sudan. Grab your copy at Amazon.com

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — While overseeing the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Salvatore Garang Mabiordit as the new minister of finance on the 14th March 2018, President Salva Kiir took valour to admit the collapse of South Sudan’s currency and, with it the leadership that administered the collapse. The President declared in a personalized statement that “We have lost the value of our currency, and there is nothing we can do soon to regain our currency’s value unless we produce”.  Wow, What a courage! Has the president roused up from his lax slumber to make this discovery, or what must have triggered him to make this announcement this time around after years of economic malady?

Although this admission is indeed encouraging Mr President, it has taken too long for you to have woken up to the realisation that the ship under your command has lost its navigation lens, a fact that some of us had foreknowledge which was brought forward to your attention, but because in your domain, the culture of critical advice is alien and, often beckons recrimination instead of appreciation. That is why you chose to ignore most advices from those considered outside your trusted clique of cronies.

The Root Cause of the December 2013 Crisis in South Sudan: The SPLM/SPLA Factor

The Root Cause of the December 2013 Crisis in South Sudan: The SPLM/SPLA Factor– A Response to Hon. Arop Madut Arop’s Article “How Political Wrangling in the Ruling SPLM Party Wrecked South Sudan Apart In 2013”

By Mabior Garang De Mabior, Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction

March 28, 2018 (SSB) — The December 2013 conflict in South Sudan has often been portrayed as a power struggle between the President Salva Kiir and his then Vice President Riek Machar – a Vice President who was seen as and continues to be depicted as a power-hungry individual. We have branded this as “The Riek Machar Factor”. The conflict has also been portrayed as a tribal war between the Dinka and the Nuer. This is not true. It is a known fact that the causes of war are economic in nature; and war, as theorized by Carl Von Clausewitz is, “the continuation of politics by other means”. The attempts to politicize the root causes of the current conflict are an attempt by a regime, waging a war of attrition on its own civil population, to hide the heinous crimes which led to the outbreak of war.

The following is an attempt by the author/s to discuss the failure of the SPLM/SPLA as one of the many factors leading up to the December 2013 conflict. It would be important to define some terms in order to avoid confusion. The abbreviation SPLM/SPLA shall be used here to refer to the liberation struggle during the first civil war in the old Sudan (1983-2005) and the term SPLM/SPLA (IO) refers to the movement currently spearheading the struggle against the regime in Juba.

Why the Government Shutdown Vivacell Mobile Operator

Reposted from The Bell: Vivacell shutdown: Reasons!

According to NCA, Vivacell was shut down because it refused to comply with the National communication Act, 2012 which stipulated that all the telecom operators must obtain a new operating license from the Government of the Republic of South Sudan.

Secondly, Vivacell is currently operating with the license of the Network of the World (NOW) which belongs to SPLM on the condition that they will pay SPLM 7.5 M USD in 2007 and SPLM will have 25 percent shares. Vivacell paid 0nly 1.5 M USD while the SPLM fulfilled its obligations by giving them free land and exemptions for 10 years.

Now the Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services is trying to implement the National Communication Act, 2012.

To cut the story short. Vivacell is refusing to run its international voice traffic through the Government’s International Gateway where the Government would be monitoring all the voice traffics passing through the Gateway and be able to collect its share of revenue directly without asking Vivacell…

Vivacell is also refusing to pay SPLM its balance of 6 M. USD and register to obtain the new operating license according to the law. So the Government is losing 66 M. USD for the operating license that should be paid once + 2 million minutes × 0.34 cents × 12 =7.2 M USD.( for the voice traffics annually) + 6 M for the SPLM license + 25 percent shares.