President Kiir doubts air safety in southern Sudan
May 6, 2008 (Juba NSV) - The president of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) his Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit has expressed doubts on air safety in Southern Sudan following tragic plane crash on May 2, 2008 that killed all 21 people on board.
The president said southern Sudan has experienced cases of air crash repeatedly and that something must be done to curb more deaths resulting from air crash.
Kiir said air planes being operated in southern Sudan are the types that are "not allowed from entering any national capital".
The plane that killed all passengers on board on May 2, 2008 identified as A Beech 1900 is registered in Kenya. The Kenya civil aviation authority is yet to produce report on the plane.
President Kiir said "Southern Sudan is becoming a dumping ground of all forms…" and that people are enchanted by the beautifully colored imported old vehicles which do not measure up to the required stands.
Kiir also expressed concerns on the increasing number of motorcycles in the hands of youngsters. He said such motorcycles are killing young people. Young people in Juba have resorted to buying motorcycles to use as Boda-Boda with the hope of making a quick buck. A Boda-boda cyclist can charge a maximum 10 Sudanese Pound ($5) within Juba. Continue reading »
President Mbeki sends condolences to South Sudan after tragic crash
May 6, 2008 (Pretoria, South Africa NSV )– South African president Thabo Mbeki sent his condolences to South Sudan president Salva Kiir and South Sudanese on Monday following the crash that killed minister of SPLA Affairs Dominic Dim Deng and advisor for South Sudan president and veteran politician Justic Yaac Arop.
"Please accept Your Excellency, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa and indeed on my own behalf, our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of South Sudan following the weekend plane crash in which 21 people [and three crew members] including the Minister of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army Affairs lost their lives,” Mbeki said.
South Africa played a great role in the negotiation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. Mbeki’s government has since been a key friend and ally of South Sudan. Continue reading »
UNDP starts capacity building training for South Sudan community based organizations
May 6, 2008 (Juba NSV) - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) started a three-day training workshop on Monday at Zara Hotel Juba to build capacities of various Southern Sudanese community based organizations (CBOs).
The UNDP Access To Justice (ATJ) Program manager, Mr. Nelson Mbu said the workshop is just a curtain raiser and that some capacity building projects for the CBOs are in the pipeline.
He said the philosophy behind the project is to strengthen the CBOs to assume the role of community watchdogs by keeping the government in check and to act as voice for the voiceless.
Access to Justice Program is a project of the UNDP geared at reducing poverty and to strengthen democratic governance. Continue reading »
Sudan train tragedy: a dozen dead
May 4, 2008 (Kordofan NSV) - A Sudan Railway Corporation cargo train got in a deadly accident on Saturday evening at Beja Station in Kordofan.
Report emerging from the area indicates bodies of 12 passengers were collected from the scene on Sunday morning. The dead include students from southern Sudan who were going to Khartoum for holidays after completing exams from West Kordofan University in Babanusa where the train took off from.
Unclaimed bodies are still in Fulla mortuary while six seriously injured passengers are in Fulla Hospital.
The director of the railway corporation in Babanusa has confirmed the death of 12 passengers. Continue reading »
SOUTH SUDAN MOURNS CRASH VICTIMS
May 3, 2008 (Juba Miraya) - The Southern Sudan government officials and hundreds of citizens gathered today at the Juba international airport to pay tribute to caskets of the late Presidential Advisor on Decentralization, Dr. Justin Yac Arop and the Minister of the SPLA Affairs in the government of southern Sudan, Lt. General Dominic Dim Deng.
The President of the government of South Sudan Salva Kiir headed the mourning ceremony at the airport, but did not make any public statement. The SPLA Chief of Staffs Lt. General Oyai Deng described the incident as tragic and added that he believes “there was no human hand involved in the incident”.
Other bodies that were also brought to Juba included the two crew members of the crashed plane and the wives of the Presidential Advisor and the Minister. The governor of the Lakes State, Daniel Awet Akot, said that the other people who died in the plane crash will be transported to Wau and later to different counties for burial.
Burial of the Presidential Advisor and the Minister of the SPLA Affairs is expected to take place on Sunday in Juba. The government of southern Sudan declared three day public mourning in the south for the victims of the plane crash. Continue reading »
