Juba sacks 14 Nuer oil workers over alleged rebel links
September 9, 2014 (JUBA) – A group of South Sudanese men of Nuer origin, who were employed by several oil companies, have been denied salary payments and dismissed from their positions by the South Sudanese government, reportedly over their ethnicity.
He claimed that a source from the national security agency said president Salva Kiir had instructed officers to closely screen members of the Nuer tribe working in the public service and government institution during a closed-door meeting, saying their political affiliation could not be trusted.
He said the government’s targeting of a specific tribe indicated a loss of vision and direction.
“Resorting into tribal tactics used by uncivilised political animals will not only hinder the development [of South Sudan], but will tear the country apart into tribal lines,” said Ngoal.
He told Sudan Tribune that many of his friends and colleagues had been left humiliated after their treatment by the security apparatus.
“[What] my colleagues and I went through in this government was unbearable and [has] never happened to South Sudanese citizens [before], even the time when we were governed by Sudan. But thank God we are still alive and live to tell the story,” said Ngoal.
PAYMENTS DENIED
According to Ngoal he and other colleagues had gone on a break prior to the December outbreak of violence and were unable to return to their posts due to the violence and instability.
He said a number of his friends also contracted to GPOC had been denied salary payments and dismissed from their duties after they failed to report to the company’s Juba base until March.
He told Sudan Tribune, however, that ongoing insecurity in Unity and Upper Nile states had forced many workers to delay their return to Juba.
“The company failed to know where I was and never established the causes of my delays that was hampered by insecurity, means of transportation and as well as lack of communication from them resorted to freezing of my salaries together with the salaries of other colleagues, all from [the] Nuer [tribe],” said Ngoal.
He said the workers in questions were later subjected to interrogations by personnel from the national security service on suspicion of having connections to rebel forced led by former vice-president Riek Machar.
Sudan Tribune understands that following the interrogations, the agency submitted its findings to both the company and the ministry of petroleum and mining, recommending that the group be permitted to resume work.
Ngoal has accused the ministry of petroleum of withholding the group’s salaries since January, while Dinka colleagues that returned either with the group or after have already received their salary entitlements.
“We have been asking our company why is it that we are not given our salaries while our colleagues are being paid, even if there is no operation since when the oil was shut down since December in some parts of [the] country?” said Ngoal.
ETHNIC DIVIDE
Duop Chak Wuol, another GPOC employee, also claims he was dismissed based on his ethnicity, accusing the South Sudanese government of seeking to divide the country along tribal lines.
“I believe the Republic of South Sudan does not belong to a particular tribe, it belongs to all tribes of South Sudan; those who think so should think coherently. The truth is tribalism kills and destroys,” said Wuol.
GPNOC officials were not immediately available to comment on the oil workers’ issue.
The group have meanwhile accused the undersecretary of the ministry of petroleum and mining, Machar Achiek, of fuelling tribal tensions.
They say they were told to submit a letter of apology to the ministry concerning their alleged role in the country’s rebellion.
However, the group told Sudan Tribune they have no intention of writing an apology letter, stressing that security fears were what delayed their return to work.
OIL MINISTRY DENIES INVOLVEMENT
The petroleum ministry’s undersecretary, however, told Sudan Tribune his department was unaware of the alleged termination of some workers without notifying the Chinese oil company.
Conflict flared in South Sudan more than eight months ago after a political dispute within the ruling SPLM party turned violent, triggering tribal tensions across the country.
The fighting has pitted government forces loyal to Kiir, who hails from the Dinka tribe, against dissident soldiers and ethnic militias from Machar’s Nuer group.
(ST)