Murdered in Uganda, in 1968, Fr. Anywar Finally Returns Home

Special President Advisor Joseph Lagu has said the return to ex-Eastern Equatoria Governor for returning the remains of the state’s fallen heroes and giving them a descent burial.
Joseph Lagu also urged the communities in the state to honour the Himodonge mass graves of the heroes killed in the 1955 Torit uprising and some of the historical sites.
He said this would make Eastern Equatoria a most tourist site after the declaration of the South Sudan independence.
The state recently named a five-man team to arrange for the return the remains of Fr. Leopold Anywar to the state and honour him with a dignified reburial.

Agriculture State minister Jerome Gama Surur heads the committee.
The return of the remains of Fr. Anywar follows a similar process for Fr. Saturnino Ohure, whose remains were brought from Uganda and reburied at a shrine in Torit in August 2009.
Anywar was among South Sudanese advocating for freedom. His killing followed a crackdown by combined forces from Uganda and Sudan on the Anyanya 1 fighters and their collaborators in Uganda. Anya-Nya 1 arrests in Uganda are at the heart of a book by Severino Fuli, Shaping a Free Southern Sudan: Memoirs of Our Struggle., one of the liberation strugglers who spent time in Uganda jails several times.

Great Decision

Lagu said Governor Ojetuk, cabinet and assembly took ‘a great decision of bringing back the remains of the heroes of the Southern Sudan who died for the sake of the liberation’.
Lagu said the state’s sons and daughters must develop the state and counties to Boma level before the state government and soon to be declared the republic of South Sudan comes in to help with infrastructure.
Participants at the conference also called the state to return to local names and drop designations imposed by the Khartoum regime.
Lagu was speaking in Torit at the conclusion of a state conference.
Deputy Governor Nartisio Manir Loluke read the resolutions and recommendations.
Participants called on citizens to uphold unity and peaceful coexistence in Eastern Equatoria.
The conference aimed at laying the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous Eastern Equatoria based on justice, democracy, equality, respect for human rights, the rule of law and accountability.

Hospital roof falls on mother, baby as storm devastates Magwi

A heavy storm hit Magwi this week after the reburial of liberation hero Leopoldo Anywar, forcing officials to dismiss patients and ferry some to Nimule hospital, and wetting the food rations stored by the World Food Program.

Storms this year have hit as far as Kapoeta North and Kapoeta South, and now Magwi. The state government has formed a team to access the extent of the disaster.

Obalim Sam and Betty Aryemo, assigned to the Magwi County Headquarters said the warehouse had sorghum CSB, oil and some maize floor. The food was meant for emergency and school support program in the county.
The matter was reported to officials in Kapoeta to assess the food.
The State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management said the affected community should remain calm. The state, the minister said, will work out every possible means to support them in this very critical moment they are in.
State Information Minister Nasike Allan, a member of the assessment team, while talking to hundreds of affected people asked them to work in conjunction with the ministry of Housing so that they can reconstruct their houses.
And Magwi County Health Commissioner Ersilia Lakulu said the storm also affected badly the main health centre in the county. Some fifty patients were admitted to the hospital during the time of the attack. Many were injured. Some are in critical state.
However, no deaths were recorded.

The mother is in critical condition, referred to Nimule Hospital. The baby escaped unhurt.
Lakulu said that some of the affected individuals were sent to Juba Hospital and others to Nimule. Other patients were told to return to their various homes from where they would visit the hospital as outpatients.
County Commissioner Peter Ochilo said this was the first storm of its kind.
Ochilo said the government and the state and the international aid partners should join hands to help the affected the communities, warning that slow response would be catastrophic.

IN OTHER NEWS

Desist from tribalism, says Daniel Deng

Anglican Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul has said people of South Sudan should desist from tribalism.
“If Deng has a quarrel with Wani, people tend to generalize and say, Dinka and Bari are fighting,” said Deng.
Deng is also Bishop of Juba of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan.
Bul said the people should sit down and discuss problems amicably, just as happens in other countries of the World.
Bul lashed out at those who to arms and waging war on the innocent people of the New Republic.
Deng said this while officially consecrating his first parish since he became Bishop — Gusene Parish in Juba.
On his part, the deputy Governor of Central Equatoria who represented the state Government in the function, Manasseh Lomole called upon the people to support the President of the Government of South Sudan.
He described Salva Kiir, the GoSS president as the Joshua who led the Israelites to the Promised Land.
Joshua who took over the leadership of the Israelites when Moses later died
The deputy Governor appreciated those who contributed finances for the construction of the Church. Construction commenced on April 10, 2010.
The bishop of Kajo-Keji Diocese contributed 100 SDG for helping the Church in ministering the word of God.

OTHER NEWS

Lion is new logo for Torit

A menacing lion is the new logo for Torit, the capital of Eastern Equatoria, a state that fired the first shot against the Arab rule in the form of the 1955 Torit Uprisings.
The State Legislative Assembly approved logos for the eight counties last week.
Ambrose Emmanuel Ocholimoi said the new logos come into effect immediately.
Torit is represented by a lion.
Ikotos County is represented by a coconut tree near a river and two mountains in the background.
Tea leaves represent Magwi County.
An Ostrich represents Lafon-Lopa County.
A ram with horns and slightly bent tail represents Kapoeta South County.
Kapoeta East chose a horned bull, with big humps and large tail while Kapoeta North chose a maize cob. Budi county chose sesame plant.
State minister for parliamentary Affairs, Clement Chichim Laku, tabled the resolution to amend the logos last week.

Official seeks UN help as street kids get to Torit

A woman leader in Eastern Equatoria has called on UN agencies to come to the aid of street children repatriated from Juba last week and now accommodated at the way station in Torit Technical Institute. Jane Surur, the vice chairperson for Women Association of Eastern Equatoria, has said the children are vulnerable and needing protection and care. State Education Minister Lopuke Lotyam last week came hoping to ferry more than 200 children back home, only to be told that many are in jail. Most of the children are from the three counties of South, East and North of Kapoeta. The state had the largest number of street children in Juba. Officials said out of an estimated 530 street children 200 came from Eastern Equatoria State. Surur said the said street children were vulnerable, in need of protection and care.

Germany donates to police

Germany has donated medical equipment worth USD 600,000 to the Dr. John Garang Unified Police training Centre in Rajaf West. Part of the donation, including an ambulance, a theatre bed, and drugs, mainly for malaria, typhoid and diarrhoea, were handed over to South Sudan Inspector of Police Achuil Tito Madut.

Bishop enrols Yei students

Bishop Erkolano Lodu Tombe has enrolled more than two hundred students in the Young Christian Students from four schools in Yei county. The students are from Yei Day, St. Paul, Yei Girls and St. Joseph Lutaaya – all secondary schools, according to Yei Youth Chaplain Fr. Alex Lodiong Sakor.

Yei Independence prep

The chairperson for the construction of Yei Freedom Square Kenyi Andrew has said the works will be completed on time to host the independence celebration, Easter Radio reported. The square’s shelter was expanded to 40 metres by 10 metres. The official said the residents should clean their homes before the independence.