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Africa Horn
South Sudan editor calls for sanctions against top officials
2013-07-11
July 9, 2013 (JUBA) - The editor in chief of one of South SudanÂ’s leading independent newspapers blasted the international community on Tuesday, accusing them of sympathising with the governing SudanÂ’s PeopleÂ’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), due to their interest in the countryÂ’s oil.
Sounds about right. And even if the West would take a stand (which I doubt), the Chinese would have no problem at all...
"I am worried. These people [South SudanÂ’s government] have lost direction. They do not have vision. They do not have any plans," warned Nhial Bol Akeen, editor in chief of The Citizen, an English language newspaper. "I yesterday asked one of the ministers what their plans are with the new oil revenues and he said no plan. They are thinking about new cars and new wives. The future is gloom[y]."

The senior journalist, who has been detained by South SudanÂ’s security services on various occasions for his paperÂ’s criticism of the government, said that top members of the SPLM were planning "to use oil money to buy weapons so that they can kill themselves during [the] 2015 elections".

Bol was speaking at a round table discussion examining the achievements, challenges and plans of the new nation hosted by Radio Miraya FM, which is sponsored by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

He said the international community was reluctant to pressure the government to embrace good governance and adopt transparency and accountability.

“The international partners are becoming members of SPLM. They are not neutral. They are supporting their friends."

He recalled that a senior UNMISS "human rights worker was expelled and [the international community] kept quiet."

Bol also said that diplomats were "not putting enough pressure on the government on [the] Jonglei situation. The prisons are ever full and they do not care. They just pass by the prisons as if they are passing by zoo."

The soft stance towards the former rebel movement, which has governed South Sudan since a 2005 peace deal with Khartoum, is "because of the interest in oil" he alleged.

The international community "are not partners at all. They should show independence and put sanction[s] on the senior officials. They should not be allowed to travel.”
Posted by:Steve White

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