SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River ‎

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‎ Boat ferrying civilians  Nasir, Upper Nile State  ‎Authorities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, have accused forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO) of detaining civilian riverboats and demanding ransom-like payments of up to $4,000 from traders and passengers along the Sobat River. ‎ ‎According to Nasir County Commissioner James Gatwech Joak, several boats traveling from Matar in Nasir County to Malakal were intercepted by SPLA-IO soldiers in Yakuach, an area in Nyirol County, Jonglei State. ‎ ‎“Our traders paid local taxes to SPLA-IO in Mandeng before setting off. But on reaching Yakuach, they were detained again and told to pay an additional four thousand U.S. dollars,” Commissioner Gatwech said. ‎ ‎He explained that the detained boat operators and traders were reportedly held for four days while armed men demanded more payments.  ‎ Some of the passengers were women, children, and patients traveling for medical treatment in Malaka...
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Betrayed by Their Own Government: Western Bahr el-Ghazal MPs Suffer in Silence

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Western Bahr El Ghazal State Assembly. 

‎At least 40 lawmakers in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State are reportedly bedridden without proper medical care due to the state government's failure to pay their medical allowances since they took office in 2020, according to a legislative spokesperson. 

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‎Joseph Mawut Athian, spokesperson for the Western Bahr el-Ghazal Transitional Legislative Assembly, told the media that the sick legislators lack even travel funds to seek treatment in Juba. 

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‎“We have about 40 MPs who are sick and without even the tickets for travel to Juba,” Athian said. 

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‎He accused executive members of using state funds for flights abroad both for medical treatment and personal trips while lawmakers struggle without basic resources. 

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‎“We are seeing some officials within the executive flying to Juba, Kenya and elsewhere, yet even our speaker has no car to travel to the Lokoloko neighborhood within Wau,” he said. 

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‎Athian said the assembly has repeatedly appealed to successive governors, from former Gov. Sarah Cleto to current Gov. Emmanuel Primo Okello, but received no response. 

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‎“The leadership of the State Legislative Assembly has written many documents concerning the recess and the medical allowances, but no response has been forthcoming,” he said. 

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‎Some legislators in Juba are reportedly selling personal assets to cover medical expenses, he added. 

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‎One lawmaker, Peter Andel, said he received no state support after breaking his leg in a recent road accident. 

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‎“Since the accident occurred outside the town, I was taken to Wau. I later went to Juba on my own,” Andel said. 

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‎His treatment cost $5,700, he said, and he stayed in the home of Kornelo Kon Ngu, a member of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly, for accommodation. 

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‎“I wrote a letter to the governor’s office, and up to now, there is no response,” Andel said. 

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‎Stephen Robo Musa, Western Bahr el-Ghazal coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), called the situation “unfortunate.” 

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‎“Such discrimination is due to the weakness of the legislature in presenting the rights of civil servants,” Musa said. “The executive is taking advantage of being in control of the cash and prioritizing themselves over the legislators.” 

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‎The situation underscores ongoing tensions between the legislative and executive branches in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, highlighting concerns over governance and equitable resource allocation. 

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SPLA-IO Accused of Detaining Civilian Boats, Demanding $4,000 Along Sobat River ‎

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‎ Boat ferrying civilians  Nasir, Upper Nile State  ‎Authorities in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, have accused forces loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO) of detaining civilian riverboats and demanding ransom-like payments of up to $4,000 from traders and passengers along the Sobat River. ‎ ‎According to Nasir County Commissioner James Gatwech Joak, several boats traveling from Matar in Nasir County to Malakal were intercepted by SPLA-IO soldiers in Yakuach, an area in Nyirol County, Jonglei State. ‎ ‎“Our traders paid local taxes to SPLA-IO in Mandeng before setting off. But on reaching Yakuach, they were detained again and told to pay an additional four thousand U.S. dollars,” Commissioner Gatwech said. ‎ ‎He explained that the detained boat operators and traders were reportedly held for four days while armed men demanded more payments.  ‎ Some of the passengers were women, children, and patients traveling for medical treatment in Malaka...
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