
South Sudan: SPLM/A-(IO) – Press Release (20.01.2020)



2.2 million children do not have access to quality education in South Sudan, jeopardizing the future of the entire country.
JUBA, South Sudan, January 20, 2020 – South Sudan is not sufficiently prioritizing children’s education, UNICEF said today. While the internationally agreed international standard for education allocations is 20 per cent of the national budget, South Sudan only spends 5.6 per cent for 2019-2020, according the national budget. This is the lowest public education spending in East Africa, recent studies say.2.2 million children do not have access to quality education in South Sudan, jeopardizing the future of the entire country. As the country prepares for a new academic year, UNICEF is calling on the Government of South Sudan to prioritize education in its government spending.
“Education must be a top priority for the Government in South Sudan and sufficient allocations must be made to ensure every child in the country can go to school and learn,” said UNICEF Representative in South Sudan Dr Mohamed Ag Ayoya. “By investing in the education of its children, South Sudan is investing in the future and development of the whole country.”
The call for more public spending on education in South Sudan, comes as UNICEF is launching the global report ‘Addressing the learning crisis: an urgent need to better finance education for the poorest children’. Nearly 1 in 3 adolescent girls from the poorest households around the world has never been to school, the report says – launched as education ministers from all over the world are gathered at the Education World Forum, ahead of the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
Poverty, discrimination due to gender, disability, ethnic origin or language of instruction, physical distance from schools and poor infrastructure are among the obstacles that continue to prevent the poorest children from accessing quality education. Exclusion at every step of education perpetuates poverty and is a key driver of a global learning crisis.
The paper notes that the lack of resources available for the poorest children is exacerbating a crippling learning crisis, as schools fail to provide quality education for their students.
In South Sudan, lack of public investment in education is contributing to the critical shortage of qualified teachers. An estimated 62 per cent of primary teachers and 44 per cent of secondary teachers are not qualified. Also, many teachers leave the profession due to salaries not being paid on a regular basis.
UNICEF calls the Government of South Sudan:
“With South Sudan’s academic year commencing in a few weeks, it is prudent to commit to realizing every child’s right to an education, by ensuring the education sector has the necessary resources,” said Ayoya.

“The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.” – Leon Trotsky
President Omar Al-Bashir might be behind bars and be charged for several offences. In the Sovereign Council, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) still have vital places in the technocratic government with militarised leadership in it. Its not like wholly elected entity of civilian government. There are still bits and pieces of the henchmen, which the National Congress Party (NCP) and the armed organizations it had.
The TMC and Sovereign Council have reorganized the National Intelligence and Security Security (NISS) to the General Intelligence Service (GIS). It was in this organization the mutiny came from this week. This was from an organization, which was loyal to the President and his mandate. That is why the Sovereign Council have also put a warrant on Salah Gosh. Now, the Lt Gen Abubakir Dambalab has resigned and there is a new chief in town.
However, this proves that even if you get rid of the head. Their systems and their trained personnel are still there. The GIS or former NISS, who has not only a reputation for torture, monitoring citizens and handle the public with vicious intent. The GIS might start doing the same for the Sovereign Council too. They were trained to do so.
The mutiny or the failed revolt shows something is wrong and vacuum not filled by the Sovereign Council. The technocrats and the military men in power knows this. They have not reformed in such a manner, where the skeletons and the ones whose possibly causing trouble might return. Even if the head of the old regime is gone. Many of his players are still around.
The Sovereign Council knows this, but they are careful. Doing so by small measures like in South Kordofan, but there are troubles in Darfur still. There are acts are shown. The mutiny is a signal, that the ones fallen by the revolution wants to return.
Though, the Sovereign Council is what the revolution fought for. It is a half-way trick. Hopefully ending up in a civilian government, but that is still a dream. As the Sovereign Council are taking all measures slowly.
That is why things like these erupt and unless, they act upon the former heads and the ones loyal to Al-Bashir. There will happen more like this. The system was rigged for him. Al-Bashir had the whole system pumping for him. Some of the ones in Sovereign Council lived for that too. Until the revolution happened they wouldn’t have accepted the fall of Al-Bashir.
Therefore, this is not yet the end. This is a sign of maybe more to come. Unless, the Sovereign Council acts upon their mandate and dully find their ways. It will not be easy, but they are some of the former henchmen of Al-Bashir.
Nevertheless, we still have to hope for change. But, I don’t expect the guns of the former to be totally silenced. Unless, they are squashed or arrested. Than, again the Council has to work against themselves too. That is if they believe to truly reform. If not they are just stalling for time, hoping the public forget the causes for the revolution in the first place. Peace.






Sudan has a long history of hosting refugees and asylum seekers but also struggles with its own internal displacement.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for increased support for Sudan with the launch of a new funding appeal that seeks US$477 million to help over 900,000 refugees in the country together with nearly a quarter million of their Sudanese hosts in the coming year.
The Sudan Refugee Response Plan, launched in Khartoum this morning, foresees humanitarian activities by UNHCR with over 30 other partners.
Sudan has a long history of hosting refugees and asylum seekers but also struggles with its own internal displacement, while facing a severe economic crisis. Our call comes at a time when the country is going through a historical political transition, and requires international solidarity to achieve peace and stability.
The largest group of refugees hosted in Sudan are South Sudanese with some 840,000 seeking shelter in the country since 2013. Resources are also needed for other refugees from nine countries who have sought safety from violence and persecution.
In the meantime, Sudan also continues to receive new refugees. In Darfur, an ongoing influx of CAR refugees into remote parts of South and Central Darfur States has seen the number of refugees swell from just over 5,000 to nearly 17,000 in three months since September 2019.
Refugees in Sudan live in over 130 locations across the country’s 18 States. About 70 per cent live outside of camps in villages, towns and settlements. The majority of refugees and asylum-seekers in Sudan face high levels of poverty, limited access to livelihood opportunities, and are hosted in some of the poorest regions of the country, where host communities are also struggling.
While refugees often benefit from generous support provided by host communities, the ongoing economic crisis in Sudan has exacerbated the situation as local resources remain scarce.
UNHCR is also part of inter-agency humanitarian efforts to assist some 1.9 million internally displaced people inside Sudan, leading on protection and working on displaced peoples’ rights, emergency shelter and relief distributions. Since last year, the transitional government has facilitated the delivery of aid to areas which were out of reach to humanitarians previously including in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile and Darfur’s Jebel Marra.
Years of conflict and unrest have also displaced more than 600,000 Sudanese as refugees in neighbouring countries – including over 300,000 refugees from Darfur in in eastern Chad. Since a Tripartite Agreement between the Government of Sudan, Chad and UNHCR signed in May 2017, nearly 4,000 Sudanese refugees have chosen to return home. More are expected to return this year.
In 2019, UNHCR operation in Sudan remained one of the most under resourced with only 32 per cent funds being available out of the needed US$269 million.





The Humanitarian Aid Commission and humanitarian partners estimate that approximately 40,000 people have been displaced and are congregating in 32 different locations.
KHARTOUM, Sudan, January 8, 2020 – A joint Government and UN delegation just returned from a two day visit to El Geneina, West Darfur, 5-6 January, having assessed the situation to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly women, children and the people with disabilities.
The delegation included the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, together with the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and the Representatives of WFP and UNICEF, met with affected people, West Darfur State Governor (Wali), the West Darfur HAC Commissioner, the Deputy Sultan, and Arab leaders.
The delegation welcomed the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council for brokering the Masalit and the Arab tribes’ commitment to non-aggression to bring peace and stability. “The Government of Sudan is committed to peace and will leave no stone unturned to provide best possible relief, and make sure the suffering of the newly displaced communities are alleviated,” said Mr. Elshabik.
“We have to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, with the first priority on protection services, to the most vulnerable population, particularly children, women and persons with disabilities. The Government, the UN and partners are conducting a joint needs assessment in the affected locations and the Government is leading the provision of humanitarian assistance with the top-up support from the international humanitarian community,” said Ms. Son.
The Humanitarian Aid Commission and humanitarian partners estimate that approximately 40,000 people have been displaced and are congregating in 32 different locations in and around El Geneina town. These include some 32,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from three IDP camps near El Geneina town. In addition, thousands of people have crossed the border into Chad, seeking refuge in villages near the border.
The humanitarian agencies and partners together with the Government are currently assisting people with food, water, and emergency household supplies. Health, nutrition and protection services are also being provided.