February 17, 2017 (YAMBIO) – A local artist was seriously tortured and shot deal with a gun by unidentified person or group on Friday morning in the outskirts of Yambio, the Gbudue state capital.
“We have just got information that one local artist called Gerham was found dead on the road to Tiindoka and we don't know who killed him,” said a local security official.
The source who preferred anonymity added that Jerham Gersama was found dead after torture and gunshot wound on his chest.
According to the state security official two girls, one believed to be his girlfriend were under arrest for investigation.
No one has claimed the responsibility for the killing, but police have launched investigations into the matter.
The victim studied in Uganda and came back to live in Yambio where he performs music.
Also, he was a member of the former rebel South Sudan National Liberation Movement SSNLM tasked with the protection of the group commander.
The group signed a peace agreement with the government in April 2016.
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February 17, 2017 (JUBA) - The South Sudanese minister of trade has on Friday denied reports quoting him to have said the government would fix the exchange rate, in a bid to salvage the economy from spiraling out of control and to help regain trust and confidence of the local population in the light of hike of foreign exchange against the local current in an effort to reduce market prices.
Minister Moses Hassan Ayet told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he did not say the government was intending to fix the foreign exchange rate but that the government was exploring ways to address it.
“That was out of context. It was not what I did say. I said the exchange rate was dropping and if it continues it would reach the point where the exchange rate would stabilize and any stabilization becomes a fixed rate by itself, if the market forces meet at the point of satisfaction, where goods would be locally available for our people to access and traders would be able to get hard currency to help import only goods and services which are not produced locally,” said Ayet.
The foreign exchange rate was fixed against the pound until in December 2015 when the government decided to adopt floating exchange rate against the pound. The objective, according to proponents of the proposal was to help everyone have access to foreign exchange market.
Ayet, who visited the market on Thursday in a bid to carry out a survey to gain insight about the prices of different commodities, said the survey gave him and his team the opportunity to gather firsthand information about the prices and what the traders were facing in the light of the current economic situation.
“Yes, I was in the market to conduct a survey and to talk to the traders. I wanted to know the cause of the rise of prices while the exchange rate was dropping. The other day, the dollar went up. It was exchanging at the rate of 13,000 per 100 dollars but it went down the next day to 10,000 per 100 dollars but the prices never dropped. They remained fixed. This was what I wanted to understand so that we could it use in our planning,” explained Minister Ayet.
The official said it was important to gather the views of the traders as they are important stakeholders and so his ministry appreciates their involvement and cooperation and coordination.
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February 17, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Friday has cancelled the general assembly meeting of the Central Committee of Sudanese Teachers (CCST) saying the move was dictated by security reasons.
The CCST is an independent organization that was established as a parallel body to the pro-government Sudanese Teachers Union.
On Friday morning, NISS agents encircled the headquarters of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) where the CCST general assembly was scheduled to be held and prevented the teachers from entering the premises.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, NUP said the NISS officer told its Secretary General Sara Nugd Allah that they received “instructions to prevent the teachers' event for security reasons” without elaborating on these reasons.
The NUP described the move as a “clear violation of the law, the constitutional rights and the basic freedoms”, adding it further indicates the mounting harassment and intimidation measures and more restrictions on political and trade union action.
The statement further warned the regime of the consequences of such reckless actions against peaceful groups, stressing that the prevention of political, social and cultural activities reveals government claims about freedoms and rights.
In October and November of last year, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), which is also an independent organization not recognized by the government, organised a series of strikes refusing non-emergency treatments to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and protection of doctors after increasing attacks by frustrated patients and their families.
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February 17, 2017 (EL-FASHER) - A splinter faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) has complained about the slow pace of implementation of the peace agreement signed with the government last year.
In February 2016, Sudanese government signed a peace deal with breakaway commanders from SPLM-AW including Nour al-Din Zorgi and Salih Adam Ishag allowing them to join Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
In exclusive statements to Sudan Tribune on Friday, Zourgi criticised the slow implementation of the agreement signed between them and the government.
“We have no representation in the civil service according to what we agreed upon. Also, the security arrangement item hasn't been completed as required because some fighters were integrated [into the Sudanese army] as non-commissioned officers while others have not been promoed,” he said.
Last May, the Security Arrangement Commission at Darfur's Regional Authority said the procedures to integrate 145 fighters from Zourgi's faction have begun in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
Zourgi added that the security, political and development items of the agreement are underway, pointing to the lack of funding for the development projects in areas of his faction's presence in North Darfur.
“Until now, some development projects that have not been implemented for reasons that are not known to us and we are facing mounting pressures from our fighters” he said.
He called upon the state and federal governments to intervene immediately to fulfil the agreement, praising the support rendered by President Omer al-Bashir to lay the foundations for peace in the country.
Qatar brokered the Darfur peace negotiations which resulted in the signing of the DDPD by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in July 2011.
However, three rebel movements including SLM-MM led by Minnawi Minnawi, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Gibril Ibrahim and SLM-AW led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur didn't join the deal.
JEM and SLM-MM, who are part of the African Union-mediated peace talks, call for opening the document for negotiations, saying some issues were ignored or not fairly treated, but Khartoum rejects such request.
SLM-AW, however, is not part of the peace talks. It rejects negotiating a peace agreement with Khartoum government unless the government militias are disarmed and displaced civilians return to their original areas.
UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million were displaced.
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February 17, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan's minister of labour and public services has resigned, citing the “impartial” composition of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).
Gabriel Duop Lam declared his allegiance to the armed opposition leader and ex-First Vice President Riek Machar. Machar fled Juba in July 2016 and lives in South Africa.
“(…) With sound mindand excellent rule of reasoning, (I) do hereby officially resigned from the position as being the Minister of Labour, Public Service and Human Development in what so call partial Government of National Unity with effect from 17 February 2017 and from there I reaffirm my full allegiance to the SPLM/SPLA-IO under the wise leadership of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon (sic),” partly reads Duop's letter.
Duop was appointed labour minister in August 2016 by First Vice President Taban Deng having been appointed by Machar, serving as Minister of Interior from April-July 2016.
The former Jonglei state minister for law enforcement and rebel governor of territories controlled by the SPLM IO in Jonglei survived the fighting in State House J1 in July 2016 and praised the leadership of President Salva Kiir for protecting his life.
When Machar fled the capital, Juba, following three days of intensive streets battle, Duop remained in Juba and shifted allegiance to Machar's controversial replacement, Taba Deng Gai.
However, in his resignation letter, the former labour and public service minister claimed the government of President Kiir attempted to kill Machar last year.
Duop reportedly left Juba early this week on an official trip, but lost touch with the ministry.
This is the second resignation of a top politician from president Kiir's government after the deputy chief of general staff for logistics, Thomas Cirillo quit last week.
(ST)
Leó: görög eredetű; Jelentése: oroszlán. Idézet „Szív ügyében, szerelemben, tanácsot se ne kérj, se ne adj.”
Jókai Mór
EZEN A NAPON EMLÉKSZÜNK RÁ:
Zrínyi Ilona, grófnő (Ozalj, Horvátország, 1643. – Nikodémia, Kisázsia, 1703. február 18.). Zrínyi Péter és Frangepán Katalin leánya, II. Rákóczi Ferenc anyja, a munkácsi vár védője. 1667-ben ment férjhez I. Rákóczi Ferenchez. Miután megözvegyült, megismerkedett Thököly Imrével. Anyósa, Báthory Zsófia halála után 1680. június 30-án a munkácsi vár őrségét saját és gyermekei hűségére eskette fel, és nem egyezett bele, hogy Caprara hadvezér császári sereget küldjön a várba. 1681-82-ben mindent megtett annak érdekében, hogy a császár beleegyezzen Thökölyvel kötendő házasságába, mert ez a kurucok és a császáriak közötti békekötéshez is hozzájárulhatott volna. Esküvőjüket 1682. június 15-én fényes külsőségek között tartották meg a munkácsi várban. Thököly oldalán ő is egyik szervezője lett a Habsburgok elleni kurucfelkelésnek. Megerősítették a munkácsi várat, amely ezután a Thököly szabadságharc egyik fontos erődítménye lett. 1685 októberében Zrínyi Ilona gyermekeivel, Juliannával és Ferenccel Munkácsra költözött, mivel a császári seregek sorra elfoglalták az egykor Thököly irányítása alatt álló várakat. Thökölyt becsapták a törökök, letartóztatták, Zrínyi Ilona ezért sehonnan sem számíthatott segítségre. Caprara felszólította a fejedelemasszonyt, adja fel önként a munkácsi várat, ellenkező esetben fegyverrel fogja elfoglalni. Zrínyi Ilona erre azt felelte, ha úgy érzi, dicsőségére válik egy gyermekeit védelmező asszony ellen harcolni a császári seregnek, ő sem ijed meg az ostromtól. Az év végén a császáriak körülzárták a várat, amelyet Thököly főkapitánya, Radics András és négyezer főnyi kuruc katona védett. 1686. január 12-én Zrínyi Ilona biztató levelet kapott Thökölytől Belgrádból, s ezután még elszántabban kezdte védelmezni a várat.
Hősiesen védte a várat, ám végül kénytelen volt tárgyalásokba bocsátkozni az ostromlókkal a vár feladásáról. 1688. január 15-én írta alá az erről szóló megállapodást, és két nap múlva I. Lipót császár csapatai Antonio Caraffa vezetésével bevonultak a várba. Zrínyi Ilonát Bécsbe vitték, kolostorba zárták.
1904-ben, amikor engedélyezték hamvainak hazahozatalát, Munkács város képviselőtestülete határozatot fogadott el, amely szerint: „Hazafias és illő kegyelet, hogy a munkácsi várban találja meg végső pihenőhelyét, melyet minden várnál jobban szeretett.” Bár az egész ország elismerte Munkács város ragaszkodásának jogosságát, folyamodványa nem járt sikerrel, mert Zrínyi Ilona hamvait Kassára vitték. Születésének 300. évfordulója tiszteletére az 1943-as évet Bereg megyében Zrínyi Ilona évének nyilvánították.
Forrás: Keresztyén Balázs: Kárpátaljai Művelődéstörténeti Kislexikon (Hatodik Síp Alapítvány – Mandátum Kiadó, Budapest – Beregszász, 2001.)
MAGYARORSZÁG KULTÚRTÖRTÉNETÉBŐL:
Kármán Tódor mérnök (1881) az aerodinamika és a nagyrakéták fejlesztésében ért el kitűnő eredményeket. A Hold túlsó oldalán és a Marson nevét egy-egy kráter őrzi.
Forrás:Magyarország kultúrtörténete napról napra, Honfoglalás Egyesület 2000.
TEDD, AMIRE ISTEN ELHÍVOTT!
„Szaporodjatok és sokasodjatok…” (1Mózes 1:28 Károli)
Isten azt mondta Ádámnak és Évának: „szaporodjatok és sokasodjatok”. Másként fogalmazva: fedezd fel a rendeltetésedet, amire teremtettelek, és add bele magad teljesen.” Megfigyeltél már valaha egy nagyszerű golfozót? A koncentrációját, a gördülékeny mozdulatát, ahogy meglendíti az ütőt, és elindítja a kis fehér labdát a pályára a zöld füvön? Ő erre termett. Ezt tudja is, és örömét leli benne. Azok az emberek, akik betöltik hivatásukat, azokból olyan öröm árad, és olyan szinten azonosulnak ajándékukkal, ami felülmúlja a hírnevet. A legtöbbjük egyszerűen megtalálta a módját, hogy olyan munkáért kapjon fizetést, amit szeret csinálni. A pénz nem tudja pótolni az életcélt. Ha rátalálsz arra a dologra, amit ingyen is szívesen teszel, akkor nagy valószínűséggel felfedezted a hivatásodat. Isten képére lettél formálva, beléd van építve a kreativitás. Ez nem azt jelenti, hogy feltétlenül művészi érzékre van szükséged ahhoz, hogy megtaláld az élethivatásodat, de mindenki, aki tudja, mi a hivatása, világra hoz valamit. Talán nyilvánvalónak tűnik, hogy a zeneszerzők, képzőművészek és költők az álmaikat hozzák világra. De ugyanez igaz bármelyikünkre, aki felfedezi, hogy ki is ő, és válaszol elhívására egyedi ajándékainak kiaknázásával. Talán arra kaptál elhívást, hogy nyélbe üss egy üzletet, felfedezd egy betegség gyógymódját, vagy feltalálj új, hatékonyabb módszereket a munkahelyeden. Azt kérdezed, mi van akkor, ha megpróbálok, de kudarcot vallasz? Az vall igazán kudarcot, aki meg sem próbál repülni az Istentől kapott szárnyakkal. Tehát tedd azt, amire Isten elhívott!
A fenti elmélkedés a Keresztyén Média UCB Hungary Alapítvány napi elmélkedése (honlap: maiige.hu), melynek írója Bob Gass. Magyar nyelven negyedévre szóló kiadvány formájában megrendelhető az említett honlapon, vagy a következő címen: Mai Ige, 6201 Kiskőrös, Pf. 33.