Unity State Minister of Information Nyaliep John Dak says that most teachers in the state will not be paid this month, nor will civil servants hiding inside the UN base in the town receive their salaries.

The minister explained that there were no schools open in the state outside of the capital Bentiu, adding that only teachers who are working will be able to collect their salaries.

Eye Radio 98.6 in Juba had reported Sunday that “payment is on track in Unity State,” citing the state health minister, Joseph Arop Malual, who said that payments for civil servants are going through normally and will also reach the counties.

Also on Monday the same media house reported, “the mayor of Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, says a large number of civil servants have gone back to work.”

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj in Bentiu, the state information minister said that about seven state schools have reopened, but none in rural areas where teachers were not being paid.

“More than seven schools are working inside Bentiu,” she said.  “In the counties there are not schools opened, as a consequence of the damage which was very bad in the counties.”

‘Not even one school in the counties open’

In rural areas there are no schools open, though the government claims to control all areas of the state except Panyijar County, and is appealing to the people who were displaced en masse from the capital and from towns such as Leer and Mayom to return to their homes.

“There is not even one school in the counties open, but the government in its planning intends to open the schools,” said Nyaliep John Dak.

She explained that the teachers would not be paid except for those who are currently at schools now: “Any teachers staying in the state will get their payment. But any teachers who are not here in the state staying outside, there’s no way to send their money to them – only if they come to the state.”

Displaced people inside UN base not to be paid

Asked whether the civil servants, organized forces, police and other government employees hiding inside UNMISS would receive their salaries, the minister replied, “The people staying inside UNMISS, particularly let’s say the soldiers, police or the like, I think those people staying inside UNMISS are the ones not working. But anybody working, I don’t think they’re staying inside UNMISS.”

“Maybe there are some employees (of the state) in the camp, but not many,” she said. “The few ones remaining there, they will not be able to get salaries. They will not get salaries.”

She explained that the reason was that these people are not working. Asked to explain when the work of the state government was considered to have resumed, she said, “We started the work in Bentiu particularly after the recapture of Bentiu. We started working right after that.”

Minister says IDPs should not be afraid

Referring to the Unity State citizens still living at the UN bases in Bentiu, the minister called on them to return home: “Our role as the government is to call on them to come out from UNMISS and return to their homes. But we are not going to ask by force but we ask over the media.”

“We don’t have any problem with anybody. We say to anybody staying in UNMISS, you go home to your house. If your house was burnt, sorry, you can start over, get yourself a bed to sleep, a mattress, until our Lord comes help you with new things,” she added.

“That’s what we’re telling people in UNMISS, that they should come out before the start of the rain season, and if the rains come while people are still there it will bring many diseases. There is diarrhea, cholera, there are many diseases.”

“So we are asking them to return, to go back to their areas and their houses, and there will not be anybody who asks them ‘are you rebels?’ or anything else. So the government is opening its hand to anybody who wants to go back to his home, he should go, there is nobody who will ask,” said the information minister.

Photo: A scene of Bentiu after the recapture of the city by government forces in mid-January (AP/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)