South Sudan’s Minister for Finance issued a statement on Wednesday evening, reporting an incident where what he termed as “a group of self-proclaimed wounded heroes” invaded the ministry premises, disrupting work and government activities.
“This morning (Wednesday), an unfortunate incident occurred at the premises of the Ministry of Finance and Planning involving a group of self-proclaimed ‘wounded heroes.’ These individuals forcefully entered the ministry’s premises, demanding payment for their medical benefits,” stated Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol.
Addressing journalists regarding the incident, Dr. Chol stated that the protests by wounded soldiers demanding medical allowances had no merit. He clarified that the finance ministry has been consistently paying for the treatment of wounded soldiers at the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs.
Regrettably, the gathering escalated into an altercation, resulting in injuries among both veterans and security personnel. Finance Minister Chol confirmed, “These injuries were the result of physical clashes involving stones, sticks, and crutches – no live bullet injuries. It is with a heavy heart that we report these events, and our thoughts are with those receiving medical care. We are closely monitoring the conditions of the injured personnel, and we are relieved to report that there have been no fatalities.”
“This stems from a long-standing misunderstanding, where it has been falsely propagated that the Ministry has a dedicated budget supported by foreign donors for such medical claims. We wish to clarify that this information is not accurate. The Government, not foreign donors, supports the medical benefits of our veterans, and these are managed outside the conventional budgetary allocations of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs,” he added.
He explained, “In our government’s commitment to support our wounded heroes, the Ministry of Finance and Planning released a payment of USD 2 million in November 2023 and an additional USD 1 million in January 2024. These funds were disbursed to the account of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs for the specific purpose of addressing the needs of our wounded veterans.”
However, he noted, “This issue has persisted for a number of years. I inherited this situation in the ministry, and it is not of my making. Despite my efforts, including the payment of 3 million USD, the demands from the wounded soldiers persist.”
According to the minister, the 3 million USD paid to the wounded soldiers came from the national budget, categorized as emergency funding sourced from the budget of the national Ministry of Finance.
“There are allegations that there is a budget in the Ministry of Finance allocated for the treatment of wounded heroes, and this budget comes from the United States or other donors, which is not true. What has been happening is the government’s support to the wounded heroes,” he clarified.
The national Finance minister has reported that the organized forces successfully brought the security situation under control following protests by wounded soldiers outside the finance ministry premises. He has urged the ministry staff to resume normal work on Thursday.
The minister disclosed that although some individuals sustained major injuries during the confrontation between the organized forces and the protesting wounded soldiers, there were no reported fatalities. He clarified, “Of course, there are injuries, both critical and minor. Three cases are critical, and those who sustained injuries are currently receiving treatment under the purview of the Ministry of Finance.”
The press statement concluded, “The Ministry of Finance and Planning wishes to make it clear that the responsibility for managing the affairs of our wounded heroes lies with the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs. It is to this entity that grievances should be directed, which will then coordinate with the Ministry of Finance for the settlement of any claims as budgeted.”
Separately, the minister acknowledged the challenges the ministry is facing in collecting non-oil revenues that support the budget for paying salaries. Additionally, he mentioned delays in the Red Sea that impact the remittance from oil revenue.