Upper Nile State Information Minister Philip Jiben Ogal says the national government is responsible for the delay in paying civil servants, some of whom have gone unpaid since before the December conflict.

When asked about this matter, Jiben noted the salary payment committee has already paid salaries of all the government employees in Malakal town and the neighbouring counties, while admitting employees in the remote counties have not yet received salaries.

“Most of the state employees received salaries of January and February including those who are sheltering now in the UN base in Juba ـــــ with respect to those who have not yet received their salaries, I tell them that it is a process, so any civil servant should report to work immediately,” he emphasized.

The minister also put the responsibility for the salary payment delays with the national ministries concerned in Juba.

He also said that burials of dead bodies in Malakal should be completed today. He claimed that two international organizations have been involved in the process of collecting the bodies. However, the ICRC last month denied to Radio Tamazuj their involvement.