Hundreds of youth under the Monyiemiji Forum yesterday marched in the streets of Torit town and picketed outside the compounds of humanitarian organizations, including UNMISS, as they issued an ultimatum for NGOs to leave the town within 72 hours starting Wednesday.
The Monyiemiji Forum comprising youth from Torit, Ikotos, and Lopit counties of Eastern Equatoria State claim that their concerns over unjust employment have not been resolved since they petitioned the state government in April.
The demonstration came two days after a team from Juba, headed by Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng, visited Torit to listen to the grievances of the Monyiemiji but the youth said the delegation from the capital failed to resolve their issues.
VP Nyandeng’s team, in their report seen by Radio Tamazuj, indicated that 81 percent of jobs in humanitarian agencies in Eastern Equatoria State are held by natives of the state but the Monyiemiji refuted the figure and accused the team of bias and a hidden agenda.
Santo Kalifa, a member of the Monyiemiji Forum said they demonstrated because of delays in resolving their issues.
“Today morning (Wednesday) we started the demonstration because it is now two and a half months down the road and the government has not responded to our petition. So, it triggered the whole issue,” Kalifa said. “We Monyiemiji are so annoyed by the deployment (of armed forces) by the government and on top of it, we are not happy in the sense that when the team came from Juba and we held the meeting on Monday without results. So it is this meeting which triggered the whole situation today.”
He added, “How can you come with a cooked report which we don’t know? We don’t know. So, they cannot just force upon us a report which we don’t know. I think it is a cooked report. The government issued an order that an assessment is done but due to their secret agenda, they have refused the assessment to go ahead. It means they have some hidden issues in their files that is why they went to Juba and cooked the report which we dispute.”
Kalifa said their petition was about irregularities and malpractices within the NGO sector which marginalizes the Monyiemiji which prompted them to demand fair recruitment.
He warned that any NGO that does not heed and evacuate the three counties will face consequences.
Johnson Sereno Omojo, another member of the Monyiemiji Forum, said they are seeking justice at the state level and will use all avenues possible to bring their grievances to the attention of the president.
“We have come to the last solution. Madam (VP) Nyandeng cannot give us Jobs. She was able to deceive us. She brought for us figures that we have 44 percent of jobs but if you go on the ground, this issue is not true,” Omojo said. “And we said there is no need for these organizations to work here. Let them evacuate so that we stay as in the past without organizations.”
Another youth identified only as Amatu said there is no need for NGOs to remain in the Otuho counties when they do not offer services to the locals.
“All these NGOs come and work for many years without giving any services and the people benefiting from their dollars should leave. NGOs should not cause us problems with our neighbors in Magwi, Nimule, and other South Sudanese. We don’t have problems with them. The problem is that there is no justice in NGOs,” Amatu said.
He urged the government and the other tribes not to misconstrue the Monyiemiji move of seeking justice.
Following yesterday’s demonstrations, the state security committee after an extraordinary meeting, condemned the call for UN agencies and NGOs to leave Torit town within 72 hours.
The state information minister and government spokesperson, Patrick Oting Cyprian, said in a press statement that the government will never accept such destructive statements from anybody who is bent on destabilizing Eastern Equatoria State and that nobody is allowed to issue ultimatums to any group except the sovereign government.
“The issue of the Monyomiji has been handled by the government from time to time. Even Vice President Mama Rebecca Nyadeng de Mabior, during her meeting with stakeholders in Torit on the matter, requested the Monyeimiji to come to Juba for further deliberations on their complaints. We call on the UN agencies and NGOs to remain calm. The government will protect the NGOs,” Oting said.
As pressure continues to mount in Torit, the government has also instituted a curfew to contain possible insecurity.
“The government has declared a dusk to dawn curfew only for the town of Torit starting from 7 pm to 6 am. Nobody is allowed to move in Torit town at that time. Gatherings, parties, and traditional dances of all sorts have been banned in Torit town indefinitely. Anybody intending to do so should get approval from the police service. Failure to get approval will lead to stringent punitive measures,” Minister Oting warned.