The government of Eastern Equatoria State Thursday lifted a one-week suspension of UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operations in Torit County.
Last Wednesday, Governor Louis Lobong Lojore directed all United Nations agencies and NGOs to suspend operations as it addresses the recent tensions between the youth (Monyiemiji) and humanitarian workers over what the youth described as unfair employment.
Lobong directed a committee formed to look into the matter to make appropriate recommendations in the seven days.
On Monday, the state minister of public service Agnes Florence Udwar issued a ministerial order to all NGOs for the formation of a committee to collect data from their respective offices. In that order, the minister urged NGOs to cooperate with the team by availing any information requested for the success of the process.
After meeting the Monyiemiji Forum youth from Torit, Lopit, and Ikwoto on Thursday, the state government resolved to lift the suspension and urged the UN and NGOs to resume their operations.
The state information minister Ruth Mario Vuga read out the meeting's resolutions.
“The resolutions of Thursday's meeting with the Monyiemiji and the government constituted committee after fully discussing with the representative of the Monyiemiji, we resolved the following; first, the closure of NGOs should be lifted to allow the operations to start immediately, secondly, the assessment to the data collection from the UN agencies, the NGOs should continue,” she explained.
A representative of the Monyiemiji Forum job assessment team Oredi Fredrick has called on the youth to stop harassing humanitarian workers as they assess the employment records of more than 50 NGOs operating in the region.
He said any cases of assault from now onwards will be handled as a criminal case.
“The message that we are sending is actually from us that they should not a threat to those NGOs, let them operate freely. So any individual attacks it is the government to take responsibility," he warned.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of Torit County Andrew Philipson appreciated the youth and said the meeting was productive.
“We have been discussing few things with open minds and I appreciate the team of Monyiemiji who is now prepared to work with the government committee and whatever the finding they find it will help us to break through the cooperation of Monyiemiji," he added.
For his part, Torit Municipal Council Mayor, His Worship Joseph Ayee Joseph Oswaha assured the NGOs that the government will work with the youth to ensure their safety and security.
“You should be operating without fear. All of us are together in case of anything we join hands together with the youth and government. We are together and we must protect this state and Torit Municipal Council," he added.
In April, the Monyemiji Forum petitioned the state government over what they termed as 'unjust employment' in the NGO sector and demanded equal employment opportunities.