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JUBA - 5 Nov 2016

Civil Society alliance in South Sudan threatens street protest over rising cost

Leaders of the coalition of the civil society in South Sudan have issued a release calling on president to take immediate measure to addressing the rising living condition, else they would mobilise for mass protest. Keluel Agok Kuch, Secretary General & Spokesperson South Sudan Civil Society Alliance, called in a statement addressed to President Salva Kiir and obtained by Radiotamazuj to sack the governor of the central bank and relief from their positions undersecretaries in the ministry of Finance and planning. The statement further call for “allowing Presidential Advisor on Economics Affairs, Former Finance minister, Governor of the Central Bank to appear before court to face justice for misleading the nation as a result the citizens are suffering on daily basis and many have already died of hunger due to order of December 2015 currency devaluation”. It continued: “Relieving the Governor of the Central Bank and his two deputies immediately or the civil society may be compelled to take mass on street against the government which has deprived the will of the of the people as it is the transitional constitution of the republic of South Sudan”. Keluel, according to the statement, calls "upon the International Community to immediately freeze all unclear wealth received from South Sudan, return and place under the management of the Special Reconstruction Fund to save the life of the citizens of South Sudan from extreme hunger". Other recommendations include a call upon the Government to reconstitute the fixed exchange rate as our capacity is weak to manage the floating exchange rate regime and advise the telecommunication companies to be fair to the people by raising affordable tariffs. The statement further called upon the Government to apprehend the business owners of big companies allegedly hoarding dollars and pounds in their homes and to work on national Audit Chamber reports seeking curbing of rising consumer prices unabated. It calls upon the Government to immediately pay the salary of the working class and to establish large scale food corps farming, establish Government companies to sell commodities with lower prices than prices in the markets, complete construction of the refinery to reduce the high fuel price in the country and to introduce deficit reduction programs of roles of the Government.