South Sudan says $60 mln was correctly used

Jan 19, 2007 (JUBA) — A Southern Sudan official, who is charged to trace how some 60 million dollar provided by the federal authorities was spent, has affirmed that the money was correctly used by his government.

Southern Sudan minister of information, Samson L. Kwaje told the New Sudan Vision website that the money has been used correctly, adding that Southern Sudan Minister of Finance is working on the expenditures, and he would make the findings available to the public when they are ready.

“The Finance Minister is now preparing the expenditures not necessarily for Bashir, but for the people of South Sudan to understand the way this money was used up,” Kwaje said.

“The South Sudan did not have resources after the signing of the peace, but there are many activities to be accomplished in the pre-interim period (the period between January 9 and July 9). So we had to ask the Central Government to give us 60 million dollars for these activities, which was not a donation,” Kwaje underlined.

Kwaje is the head of a committee set to enlighten the people of Southern Sudan and Sudan in general on how the alleged 60 million dollar was spent by the SPLM.

The Government of South Sudan (GOSS) has decided last week to form a committee to investigate the allegations during peace celebration in Juba by President Omar al-Bashir that he gave 60 million dollars to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to bring its cadres and officials from abroad to form committees to implement the CPA.

Having been asked on the activities which he said needed to be accomplished before the pre-interim period, Kwaje explained that these included the making of the Interim National Constitution in which the SPLM was supposed to transport its people and accommodate them in hotels in Khartoum.

Furthermore, he added the Abyei Boundary Commission (ABC) was formed as a result of the sixty-million dollars and five members from the SPLM, headed by Deng Alor Kuol, Edward Lino, Kuol Arop, James Wal and James Ajing were appointed to facilitate the movements of personnel around South Sudan at that time.

“With these, it’s wrong to say the money was given for repatriating people from Washington or anywhere,” he said.

Kwaje said the underlying truth about the money is that it is being taken from the oil fraction of South Sudan. “This money is now being subtracted from oil portion of the South,” he added.

(New Sudan Vision)