A civil rights organization on Monday called on the Government of South Sudanese to urgently pay the salaries of civil servants or face the law in the East African Community Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania.
Ter Manyang Gatwech, the Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) said it is deeply concerned about the adverse impact the delay in salaries has had on the entire country, as civil servants have gone for months without receiving their salaries.
“If the government fails to take action, CPA is prepared to take the matter to court in Tanzania. It is important to note that South Sudan has ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966 through the General Assembly Resolution 2200A (XXI), which came into force on 3 January 1976,” reads part of the CPA statement.
Manyang said the Government of South Sudan receives funding from various sources, including oil revenue, taxes, and Personal Income Tax from both national and international NGOs, noting that Paying civil servants is a social contract between employers and employees.
“It is uncommon to find government officials who are denied their rights and privileges within their own country, causing them trauma. A significant portion of government workers experience consistent trauma that negatively impacts their mental health. This trauma can lead to employee death, lack of creativity, and motivation,” the statement said. “Other East African member states pay their civil servants on time, with no delays, whether it is a matter of minutes or a month.”
It added: “The CPA only allows one month for the payment of all civil servants’ salaries, if payments are not made within this time frame, officials from the government delegation will not go to the United Nations General Assembly, therefore, the CPA will write to the United Nations, requesting that all government officials refrain from attending the assembly in New York until salaries have been paid.”
CPA strongly urged the international community, along with the AU, IGAD, and the East African Community to address this concern promptly before it escalates further.