The youths also appeal to counterparts to turn out in large numbers ahead of next years’ national referendum

By Josephat Siror

September 10, 2010 (Nairobi) -- Dozens of Sudanese youths assembled in Nairobi yesterday calling for their counterparts to support separation of Southern Sudan from the Muslim-dominated North. The Southerners group of youth also launched their referendum campaign in earnest in the capital city of Kenya where a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was reached in 2005.

While launching the diaspora campaign, a first in Kenya’s political scene, the Sudanese warned against success of ‘unity’ government, saying that it would spark another ‘eruption’ of bloodshed in the fragile Horn of Africa country.

The referendum launch comes amid mixed reactions over the referendum date set for 9th January next year and the raging debate on 'surprise' visit to Kenya by Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir during the Promulgation of the new constitution a forth night ago. Mr Bashir's visit to Kenya fired debate since he is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes that led fleeing of Sudanese nationals most of them seeking temporary stay in Kenya.

But yesterday as the diaspora youths launched the campaign, they appealed to the fellow Southerners to turn out in large numbers and vote for the separation. “We are appealing to our diaspora colleagues wherever they are to come in large numbers and demonstrate their rights by voting during the referendum,” said Luala Abraham, leader of the United South Sudanese youth for Referendum Campaign (USS).

He lamented over the mistreatment unleashed to Southerners by the Northerners, who are mostly supporting unified type of government. These people (leaders) in the North have continuously treated the Southerners in a hostile manner through Islamic Sharia law,” he said adding that the vast country of Sudan is not a Muslim state.

The country has been subject to war-related crimes following a disagreement between the Southerners and Northerners. But the youths waving ‘orange’ T-shirts said they would push on for the separation despite being out of their homeland. “Our launch today exhibits a series of campaigns ahead in Kenya. We will also visit our brothers and sisters in refugee camps in Kakuma and Dadaab,” said Luala.

The number of Sudan nationals has been rising in Kenya, most of them from the South where rebel groups have been fighting the fragile government until the signing of the Peace Agreement between National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Kenya.

Josephat Siror, BSC, is a journalist who has worked in different mainstream media houses. He has been part of Humanitarian Crew during the surge of famine that hit the Horn of Africa in 2007 stretching through 2008, he has worked in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and part of Gulf of Eden, and worked then as a media consultant with International Red Crescent and Red Cross (ICRC). His main tasks have been reporting on humanitarian, political and social issues.

New Vision

JINJA-based Leather Industries of Uganda has stopped operations after being disconnected from public sewer lines. The firm is accused of discharging smelly liquid waste, causing a stench in Jinja town.

The factory has, since, its establishment in the 1976, been discharging its primary treated effluent through the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) sewer lines.

The waste is then deposited at the NWSC lagoons on the shores of Lake Victoria for secondary treatment.

Although Leather Industries of Uganda is not the only tannery in the area, fingers have been pointed at it as the source of the smelly discharge.

NWSC blocked the sewer lines connecting to the factory last month after a lot of pressure from local politicians and other authorities.

The move has, however, raised more questions than answers as the offensive stench still hangs over the town two weeks after the tannery was forced to stop operations.

This left over 300 workers stranded. Many of them have worked with the company for over 30 years, and are helpless following the sudden factory closure.

“I have been here for 38 years, now they are telling me to go home. How am I going to sustain my family? We have been at this factory for this long, but never did we produce such a smell. There should be proper investigation before such decisions are taken,” Dravile Stephen, from Arua, said.

In an August 25 letter to the NWSC executive director, the Uganda Manufacturers Association executive director, Sebaggala Kigozi, expressed concern that the sewer disconnection had been done without fully ascertaining the actual cause of the stench.

“As one of the largest tanneries in Uganda, with comprehensive facilities to process raw hides and skins to finished products, and a big workforce, this company needs our support to avert huge market losses,” Kigozi wrote.

He noted that apart from leading to an immediate loss of sh200m in raw hides and skins, the factory’s sudden forced closure would lead to a devastating cancellation of contracts with clients in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Leather Industries acquired the tannery from the Government in 2005 through the Divestiture and Reform Implementation Committee.

According to the terms of the deal, the firm was limited to primary treatment of the effluent as per the National Environmental Statute 1995.

Kigozi explained that the Government and Jinja Municipal Council were the ones responsible for the secondary treatment of the effluent.

Leather Industries has also been paying NWSC sh8m monthly to cover the secondary treatment costs, he added.

Deogratius Majwega, the tannery effluent and environmental officer, said the closure of the industry was unfair.
He said they were treating their effluent according to the primary treatment guidelines.

Justus Mike Ochom, a government analyst, the okayed the company’s primary effluent treatment.

The environment watchdog, NEMA, however, agrees that the firm has a problem. Jeniffer Kutesakwe, a NEMA inspector, said Leather Industries has the worst way of treating effluent.

“We gave one month (which has already expired) and a last warning to put up an appropriate treatment plant and disposal unit for the pieces of meat and fur they scrap from skins.”

Kutesakwe advised the company to engage specialists to design for them the appropriate waste treatment plant and disposal unit like other factories have done.

Governor of Jongeli State, Kuol Manyang, called on the Federal Government and the Government of Southern Sudan to immediately assist those affected by heavy rains which flooded the State recently. The Governor said in certain areas people are very seriously affected because roads are blocked and help can not reach them.

The spokesman of the IDPs in Himeida Camp, Adil Adam, said that at least six internally displaced persons and ten others were wounded in clashes that erupted this morning between IDPs and government supporters, reinforced by government forces.

AFP

Nigeria's government locked out hundreds of workers who showed up late in the capital on Tuesday as part of efforts to instill discipline among notoriously nonchalant civil servants.

Doors were locked at 8:30 am - the official, if widely ignored, start time for federal government workers - so managers could make a list of those who failed to turn up on time, said Tope Ajakaiye, a civil service spokesman.

"It is a continuous measure in an attempt to bring sanity back to the civil service," Ajakaiye told AFP, adding two other lockouts occurred earlier this month. Doors reopened around 10:00 am.

Late arrivals will eventually be sanctioned, he said, though he declined to say what the penalties would be.

While government workers are often criticised for being lackadaisical, many also live far from the centre of the capital Abuja because they cannot afford the expensive rental prices within the city limits.

© 2010 AFP

 Khartoum, Aug. 23 (SUNA)- President of the Republic, Field Marshal Omer Al-Bashir, announced that the government campaign for the referendum will be launched from south Sudan in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which stipulated that the two partners of the agreement shall work for the unity of Sudan

He affirmed the government pledge to provide all the requirements for the campaign and acquainting the southern citizen with the importance of unity and the risks of the separation, stressing that the majority of the southerners are supporting to the unity

Authors: SUNA - Sudan News Agency English Latest News

 Khartoum, Aug. 24 (SUNA) - Vice President of the Republic and co-Chairman of the Higher Council for Decentralized Government, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, has affirmed the endeavour of the government to strengthen the decentralized government to enable the citizens to pratice their role in the formulation of policies

Addressing the inaugural sitting of the meeting of first term of the Higher Council for Decentralized Government at the Friendship Hall Tuesday, the Vice President said that the issue of the decentralized government is one of the key issues which the government has been working for its progress

Authors: SUNA - Sudan News Agency English Latest News

AFP

Nigeria's government locked out hundreds of workers who showed up late in the capital on Tuesday as part of efforts to instill discipline among notoriously nonchalant civil servants.

Doors were locked at 8:30 am - the official, if widely ignored, start time for federal government workers - so managers could make a list of those who failed to turn up on time, said Tope Ajakaiye, a civil service spokesman.

"It is a continuous measure in an attempt to bring sanity back to the civil service," Ajakaiye told AFP, adding two other lockouts occurred earlier this month. Doors reopened around 10:00 am.

Late arrivals will eventually be sanctioned, he said, though he declined to say what the penalties would be.

While government workers are often criticised for being lackadaisical, many also live far from the centre of the capital Abuja because they cannot afford the expensive rental prices within the city limits.

© 2010 AFP