South Sudan Roundup: Foreign currency exchange, gang arrests, EAC chairmanship

Legalisation of black-market currency dealers

South Sudan will begin the legalisation of the activities of black-market currency dealers to curb non-compliance to economic reforms. The Governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan told reporters that the government of the East African nation will issue licenses to the hard currency vendors to formalise their ventures. "All over Juba, we have currency traders, those who buy and sell hard currency. What we are saying is that we will ask them to organise and become more formal and find places and spots in Juba where they can formally do their businesses," he is quoted by local media Eye Radio.

Criminal gang arrests

The South Sudan police force has arrested over 300 South Sudanese youth said to be involved in criminal gang-related activities. A spokesperson for the nation's police force said that the police began a 21-day operation to reduce gang-related crimes in the East African nation on November 18. "We started it last Saturday in Gumbo, whereby in our first operation we managed to arrest 70 suspects, and after that the number went as far as 125 and on November 27 the number has gone to 310, among them are 8 girls," he is quoted by Eye Radio.

EAC chairmanship

South Sudan has been initiated as the new chair of the East African Community (EAC), following the inauguration of South Sudan President Salva Kiir as the bloc’s chair at the 23^rd Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State held in Tanzania on November 24. “The Republic of South Sudan has assumed Chairmanship of the East African Community. H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan is the new Chairperson of the East African Community,” the EAC in a statement said.

Unarmed peace forces

The South Sudan Army has deployed 750 soldiers as peace forces to the city of Malakal in the Upper Nile State of South Sudan without any weapons.  The unarmed soldiers arrived at their destination on November 23. “We wait for the committee to be able to come to the command [headquarters] in Juba and then they let us know what to do. I believe it will never take long because the longer they take in one place the more challenges they could start facing,” a spokesperson of the army is quoted by local media Sudans Post.

Government travel expenses

The South Sudan Minister of Finance has announced that the Sudanese government will put stringent measures in place to reduce the travel expenditure of government officials of the East African nation. " We are reducing cost of expenditure, so we will temporarily introduce austerity measures in some of our spending," he is quoted by Eye Radio.