Radio Emmanuel 89 fm

15/01/2025

Happy 2nd anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination to His Lordship Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta of the Catholic Diocese of Torit

01/01/2025

12/12/2024

Kapoeta East community to pay 100 cattle for blood compensation

Authorities in Kapeota East County of Eastern Equatoria State said they are charged 100 cattle for blood compensation including 50 cows and 50 goats

Hon. Abdallah Angelo Lokello the County Commissioner said last month a fight between the Toposa and the Turkana tribe led to the killing of one Turkana man and this call for a blood compensation

Hon. Abdallah told Radio Emmanuel that the community has collected thirty-seven cows and forty-five goats as part of the blood compensation to the Turkana Community after a peaceful dialogue between the two communities and the Toposa community is yet to collect the remaining cattle to complete the compensation

“One person from Toposa last time kill somebody from Turkana last, they fought then they killed a Turkana person, they killed this man last month, we agreed to pay blood compensation, and they charged us fifty goads and fifty cows, yesterday we paid thirty-seven cows and forty-five goads, we just relist and give them thirty-seven cows and forty-five goads”

Abdallah said after the peaceful dialogue, the Toposa and Turkana Communities agreed to peacefully coexist among themselves

“Now there is no anything bad, we have made peace start from today, we have like six months staying in peace with Turkana, and all the villages start from Ojala up to Nakuwa near to Ethiopia, all our border we agreed with them nothing bad”

12/12/2024

Over 20 farmlands were destroyed by fire in Imehejek administrative area

About 25 sorghum farms were reportedly destroyed by fire early this week in the Imehejek administrative area of Eastern Equatoria State.

Mathew Oromo the chief Administrator confirmed that the incident happened in the afternoon on Monday in Lobelo village, Lohilang boma of Dorek Payam Imehejek Administrative area

He said the farmers were unable to rescue their farms from the fire since they were far in their homes when the fire caught the sorghums in the gardens

“Yeah, on the 9th of this month, I got a report of an incident of fire burning almost 25 farms of Lobelo village, Lohilang Boma, Dorek Payam of Imehejek administrative area. It happened around afternoon when people were coming from their farms, they saw smoke in the farms when they ran to see, they found that the fire had already entered the whole farms, they tried to quince the fire, they could not result in the destruction of 25 farms by the fire except those far from the scene of the fire.” He said

Matthew says the fire was burned by a suspected farmer who was trying to scare locusts from the farm but was unable to control the fire from catching the crops

He said most of the farms destroyed belonged to the people who voluntarily returned from the camps therefore causing worry that they may return back as a result of hunger

“When they tried to follow, they found only the footmark of one person, but there are some rumors that it is a person from the community who tried to burn bushes around his farm to scare the green locust but the fire overcame him but no one has accepted to have burned the fire until now the community is still investigating the incident. My worry is most of these people came early this year from the refugees camp but now due to these incident, they will be forced to go back to the refugees camp because of hunger, couple to this, it may affect people they will start to think of migrating away from the area due to hunger.” He added

Oromo is calling on the Humanitarian organizations to support the affected people with food items for sustainability as they wait for next farming season.

“I am also appealing to the partners to access the area and offer support to the affected families to sustain them until the next season for cultivation, the community should stay calm and wait for any respond from our state government. Last year when one of the villages was burned, reports were given and there were no respond hence we are calling on the office of RRC to share with partners around to go and access the area instead of just taking reports and there nothing done about it.”

Earlier this year Imehejek administrative area reported that bird invaded farms couple with flood and late November they also reported the case of green locust that invaded many farms putting the area at the danger of hunger strike by next year.

12/12/2024

Citizens call for peaceful celebration of Christmas

Citizens in Torit town of Eastern Equatoria State on Thursday called for peaceful celebration ahead of Christmas

Oburak James a resident of Mario called on the government to address the issue of gangs commonly known as NI**AS that jeopardize peace in town such that citizens will be with hope for peaceful celebration of Christmas

“People should be peaceful and people should celebrate well and also the government should look at the issues of the Gangs groups because they are the ones interrupting people from celebration always I see let people celebrate well whenever someone goes to the neighbor eventually that someone has been harm and kill which is not good in the morning you hear miss or Mr. so was kill which is not good we need peace to prevail anyway as per now we have nothing at hand we would have prepared more in this Christmas.” Oburak said

Grace Iyoyok called for peace amongst the family since the economic crisis cannot allow parents to meet the needs of the children

Grace said Christmas is a time for joy and happiness in the families and the society at large therefore calling on citizens to embrace love amongst themselves

“People should celebrate with peace and my message to our children who are always fighting especially when people are celebrating they should change from whatever they are doing fighting, killing themselves beating their parents and sisters at home they should all change during this time of Christmas because it is time for joy and happiness and share things together, and my message always goes to the soldiers working at night that when you found someone moving at night you need to ask that person before taking for detention” she added

Meanwhile Lokede Mathew called for the early release of civil servants for them to go and meet their families during this time of the Christmas

“So in this Christmas I expect transportation of teachers from various schools to their places, especially those one who are coming from far distance because when they are delay here something may happen at the road more specially those robes so staff need to be transported early in order for them to go and prepare for Christmas.”

12/12/2024

Radio Emmanuel extends its warmest birthday wishes to the Senior Reporter and the MORNING BREEZE Presenter Obiala Angel De Son, celebrating his commitment and unwavering dedication. May your day be filled with joy, surrounded by the love and appreciation of those you inspire. Happy Birthday

11/12/2024

Four Killed in Budi County Revenge Attacks

At least Four people have been reportedly killed in revenge attacks in Kimotong Payam of Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State.

Lino Lochuk, the Kimotong Payam paramount chief in Budi County confirmed that earlier this month a woman was killed mowing grass for her house by the alleged armed youth from Kapoeta North County

He added that three cases were further registered on Wednesday this week increasing the death toll to four.

“This incident started on the 5th of December 2024, Toposa from Riwoto which is Lokwamour came and killed a woman at 1:00PM, kill a woman in the bush while mowing grass, women of Buya used to mow grasses for their houses,” Lino said

Lochuk calls on the state government intervention to bring to an end the ongoing issues of revenge attacks between the two neighbors

“I am asking the Government and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan all we, need to meet all these people, let us stop the revenge killing maybe today a Toposa is killed there tomorrow is killed here till when, I am calling on the government to come and help us intervene the government of Ikwoto, Budi and Torit counties, let them come immediately help this person in their revenge killing”

11/12/2024

Fuel scarcity affects boda-boda operation in Torit

Fuel scarcity becomes the biggest challenge facing the boda-boda businesses in Torit town of Eastern Equatoria State

Sarafino Oseyek, a boda-boda rider based in Torit, says that the fuel shortage has affected their survival.

He reveals that currently, they buy one and a half litter of petrol at 30,000SSP which they

Oseyek said due to the ongoing economic crisis their families are forced to reduce the number of meals they take in a day

“People used to eat three times a day but now people are eating once this is hard in the family,” Oseyek said

Meanwhile, Daniel another boda-boda rider said the high charges due to fuel scarcity have reduced the number of their customers
“live become hard, for a person to get something small to the people at home there is no money and things change” Daniel added

11/12/2024

Farmers faced theft cases in their farmlands

Farmers in Torit have concerns that thieves are stealing their farm produce during night hours

Jacky Doria a farmer in Hulumore hinted that her farm produce is normally stolen from her garden at night

“my farm is near the main road, they are moving at night since the moon is bright, this happened when I went the following morning I got surprised because I left yesterday at 4 pm”

11/12/2024

Six students missed South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Examinations in EES

About six students in Eastern Equatoria State missed the just-concluded South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education

Eastern Equatoria State registered 3058 students who were to sit for the National Examinations that kicked off on December 2nd however the director for quality assurance and standard in the State Ministry of General Education confirmed that two female students and four male students missed the examinations

Lokulang Lokududu Faustino said sickness, pregnancies, and early marriages are among other reasons that forced the students to miss the examinations

Lokulang however said the State has realized 9.9% increase number of students this year compared to last year

“We have registered a total number of three thousand five hundred and eight candidates that sat for the examination by gender we have one thousand two hundred and seventy-two females and then we have one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six males this is the number that sat for this year and when you compare to last year we have a total number of two thousand seven hundred and fifty-five that means there is an increment of one hundred and three candidates that round to nine point nine percent compared to last year, we have also realized six candidates two females and four male candidates did not sit for their examinations, that means they were absent from their Centers” Lokulang said

Lokulang said two male candidates sat from the prison two female candidates sat for their examinations from the maternity ward after giving birth and four lactating mothers sat for the South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations
Lokulang considers the commitment of such students as a great achievement in the state

“One of the achievement we have realized also we have two male candidates sat for their exams under the custody of prison unit both in Kapoeta and Torit we have to give them to sit for their examinations, also we have two female candidates who sat under supervision of the doctor in maternity ward in Kapoeta East County, four lactating mothers who completed their examination papers under alternative secondary education program for the adult, they did their examination through supervision and they do help their children and they go for exams, we supposed to give them the chance” He added

The South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations commence on December 2nd with CRE/RE across the nation and concluded on December 11th with Financial Mathematics, Technical drawing (Mathematical Engineering, Civil Engineering) respectively

10/12/2024

Eastern Equatoria commemorates International Human Rights Day with a call for an end to human rights violation

As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, the Eastern Equatoria State Human Rights Commission calls for joint efforts to end human rights violations in the state and the country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Radio Emmanuel, Hon. Primo Hart the Eastern Equatoria state Deputy Chairperson for the Human Rights Commission calls on the government to work collectively to fight against Human Rights violation

“All the stakeholders have to be involved in awareness raising situation, we need to go with stakeholders, the UN agencies, the NGOs, and the government. Even up to the grass root, we have to go talk to the people, we have to talk to the Payam administrators, the county commissioners; all those stakeholders have to be involved in the awareness situation about human rights so that everybody has to understand it is not actually the human right commission alone because when people are doing things together, we can make people understand.” Primo called

Primo points out that blood compensation and the killing of innocent civilians are among the common Human rights violations across the Country

He calls on the state government and humanitarian partners to create awareness to bring an end to such acts

“There is a lot of mess by the way; that is why strong awareness has to be carried. If youths are employed; they go to the private factories and industries, I think they will forget, and then also sent to school, giving them free education because some are unable to pay their tuition fees that’s why they are go and hunt for animals and kill people there on the way, when people want to create awareness to the youths, they have to go to the grass root they have to make sure that the people fully understand the rules of law and justice to prevail in the country.” He said

The Human Right Deputy Chair mentions that his office is challenged by lack of mobility to reach communities in rural areas to create awareness on human right violations

“You know the moment, it is actually not easy to go to the deep; to the Bomas, to the Payams to the counties because in our office here we don’t have the mobility to move at least we would’ve gone to the other places and collect the data of the human right violation, we cannot even move there sometimes it is risky when you want to talk about the human right because some of them cannot understand.”

Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10th December. The declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected
This year the day is celebrated under the theme “Our Rights, Our future, Right Now”

10/12/2024

Persons with disability call for inclusion in parliament

Persons with disability demand representation in the state transitional legislative assembly

Visually impaired person Organization in Eastern Equatoria state says that the lack of inclusivity of persons with disability in the state legislature has forced the state government to sideline persons with disability from the fiscal year budget.

Laduma Patricia Egan the Executive director for the Visually Impaired Person’s Organization said there is a need for the association of persons with disability to elect their representative to the parliament

“We have been requesting it for Long to have our positions as Disable in the state Parliament because many of the concern that affect us have not been presented to parliament, especially when passing the Budget, we also call for a location of budget for persons with Disability, when passed it should go to the ministry concern with our issues, the person we will send will be loyal to us not party”. Patricia said

Laduma however mentioned that disabled women do face challenges during delivery at the maternity ward in the hospital
She hinted that people with disability at the grassroots face numerous challenges that need deliberations in the parliament

“The County disabled are also suffering from things like rehabilitation centers, many disabled have no access to education, the few who have gone to school stopped at “0” Level, no scholarships coming direct to persons with Disability, on Health, there is no special room in maternity for persons with disability as beds for delivery are all high and no one is advocating for it, so if we are to be there we will table it for deliberation at Parliament for a health facility with low beds for disable women for delivery”. She added

Laduma further called for the rehabilitation of roads along Torit town to help the persons with disability access services

“We are so limited in reaching some areas to meet our relatives, friends due to bad roads, so we request the state Government to repair local roads with holes within town by building bridges or Calvert’s so that person disable can cross easily”. Laduma concluded

06/12/2024

Priest urges Christians to have faith for them to be saved

The Priest in the Catholic diocese of Torit is urging Christians to have faith in God for them to be saved

Fr. Jakino Lomogo the assistant Parish priest of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral said God is the light of salvation and through faith, God will open the eyes of the faithful just as he opened the eyes of the blind in the Bible

“God is light and salvation to me and you and this is the goal, we are coming here daily to listen to His word. Isaiah said God is light to you if you have faith, through faith if we know God exists, God will help us, we have seen in the scripture two blind people Jesus asked them what they want, they say I want to see and Jesus touched their eyes and all of them see, why because of the faith they have”

Fr. Lomogo asks the faithful to call on Jesus by faith for healing in their lives rather than pretending

“Do not pretend you have eyes, you are blind, but with our blindness we call on God to give us a healing we need to se, because we have faith in you, you are the son of God you are the one to give us healing; let us see all that in this world with faith. If we all have faith and believe Jesus will open for us all that is in this world”

06/12/2024

Eastern Equatoria urged to improve local revenue collection

Authorities in Eastern Equatoria State are urged to improve revenue collection across the eight Counties and the three administrative areas to meet financial obligations

In a statement during the council of ministers meeting, Elia John Ahaji the Eastern Equatoria state Minister of Information, Communication and Postal Services hinted that the local collection has to be used to meet financial obligations including operational funds and salaries of civil servants

He said the national government would be unable to provide all the requirements for all state demands.

“H.E the governor briefed the council and conveyed the message from the president underscoring the importance of mobilizing the local resources to meet financial obligation at the State” said the minister

Ahaji however revealed that all the county commissioners and the chief administrators will meet on the 10th of this month to underscore ways to strategise on how to mobilize the local non-revenue collection across the state

“In alignment with these directives, the eight-county commissioners and the chief administrator have been invited to Torit for briefing scheduled Tuesday, December 10th – 2024, the objective of the meeting is to develop workable strategies for all levels of local government to adapt and implement, so the commissioners will actually come and they will discuss this in their forum”

06/12/2024

Citizens urge to promote peace and development in the society

The National Coordinator for Justice and Peace Commission for South Sudan and Sudan Bishops Conference encourages citizens to promote peace and development across all communities in Eastern Equatoria State

Fr. John Opi Severino in his statement during the closing of the two-day workshop in Torit says that it’s the mandate of the citizen to promote peace and harmony in the country

He advises the citizens to work hand in hand with the government to realize development and peace in the country

“Our role in the society is to promote peace and development to promote harmony and cohesion, we are supposed to be responsible and work collaboratively with our government to bring peace” Fr. Opi said

06/12/2024

"There is more joy in serving the Lord". This is the message of Fr.Nelson Afatio of the Catholic Diocese of Torit as he marks 10 YEARS of Priesthood on 6th December 2024.
Ordained to the priesthood on 6th December 2014 by Late Emeritus Bishop Paride Taban, Fr. Afatio has served as Assistant Parish Priest at St.Mathew Ikwoto, Parish priest of Christ the king - Magwi and currently, personal secretary to His Lordship Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta of the Catholic Diocese of Torit.
"My prayer is for the growth of the church,more vocations to priesthood and other religious life.I pray for the early childhood to grow in the faith of Christ.To my brothers and sisters who have supported me in any way through this journey,may the Almighty God bless you as we continue to journey together on this work of the Lord.I call for forgiveness,love and solidarity in our day to day activities. Fr.Afatio stated.

CONGRATULATIONS Fr.Afatio. As you open the 11th page of your Priestly ordination, may the good Lord continue protecting you for the service to His flock.
# Happy 10th priesthood anniversary Fr.Afatio

05/12/2024

EES demands the return of abducted children by Greater Pibor

The government of Eastern Equatoria State on Thursday demanded an immediate return of the abducted children from Kauto during the April raid

Speaking to the Press, Hon. Elia John Ahaji the Minister of Information in Eastern Equatoria State said over 50 children and women were abducted from Kauto in Kapoeta East County by the alleged Murle Community from Greater Pibor Administrative area

The Minister said Eastern Equatoria welcomed the apology made by Pibor elders and called for legal measures to solve the matter

“We take this opportunity to remind the Greater Pibor Administrative Area of the unresolved matter regarding over fifty children and women abducted from Kauto during the April 2024 raid, we demand their immediate return, and the government of Eastern Equatoria State deeply appreciates the apology extended by Murle community elders regarding this matter. To our dismay, the council received an official letter from the press office of the Greater Pibor Chief Administrator confirming that they will not issue an apology to the government of Easter Equatoria State, this instant leaves the government of Eastern Equatoria State with no choice but to pursue legal measures to address this serious and malicious accusation” Minister said

The minister further denounced the allegation made by the Greater Pibor Chief Administrator accusing the government of Eastern Equatoria of closing Kapoeta-Boma Road which serves as a supply route for the Murle saying it is baseless

Ahaji said the government of Eastern Equatoria is committed to promoting peaceful co-existent among communities

“We were dismayed by the allegation made by the Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor, during the session the Honorable Council of Ministers was disheartened to hear a statement made by the Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor accusing the government of Eastern Equatoria for closing Kapoeta-Boma Road which serves as a supply route for the Murle. This allegation aired in a public forum covered by National and International forum were deemed, baseless and disappointing, the council strongly retaliated it unwavering commitment to peaceful co-existent among communities. Eastern Equatoria State has consistencesily demonstrated goodwill toward the Murle despite ongoing challenges such as cattle raid and human abduction” He added