South Sudanese public servants in the North to return as independence approaches
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May 27, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudanese public servants, currently
working in the 15 states of North Sudan, will be returned to the
soon-to-be independent region as South Sudan’s independence and formal
separation between the two regions.
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South Sudan, which will formally become independent on July 9, voted
overwhelmingly for secession from the rest of Sudan in a
self-determination’s referendum conducted in January this year. The
plebiscite was held in accordance with the 2005 North-South peace deal
which ended 21 years of civil war.
Tens of thousands of Southern Sudanese are currently employed in the
public service in North Sudan and are expected to return to South
Sudan before and after July 9. These include all those working in the
government in the executive, legislative, civil service and police
forces of various categories.
South Sudan’s leadership had proposed that Northern and Southern
Sudanese citizens would be able to chose which country they wished to
reside and work in after July 9 but the proposal has been rejected by
the Khartoum government.
In a meeting of the Southern Sudan 2011 Taskforce chaired by the
region’s Vice President Riek Machar, on Thursday, Machar stressed the
urgent need to step up the process of returning the South Sudanese
employees from the North and making necessary preparations ahead of
independence. He said this will also include assisted return of
professional South Sudanese in the Diaspora who are willing to return
to South Sudan.
Also in the meeting, a policy framework for the absorption of
returning public servants was put forward by the minister of Labour
and Public Service, Awut Deng Acuil. Another memo containing
preliminary data of the current number, and some details of, South
Sudanese public servants in the North was presented to the meeting by
the State Minister in the Presidency in Khartoum, Wek Mamer Kuol.
In the policy framework, all returning public servants will be
screened and will need to provide evidence of their previous
employment record. This will be cross-checked against documentation
provided by the northern authorities.
Priority will be given to filling vacancies and creating capacity at
boma, payam and county level. In order to attract qualified personnel
to work at the lower levels of government or in the rural areas,
salary levels will be restructured. Those working at boma, payam,
county or state levels will receive the same salary as those working
for South Sudan government in Juba. At present those at state and
lower levels have received lower salaries, discouraging many from
working in rural areas.
The policy framework, which is expected to be implemented from July, says:
“In addition, a hardship allowance or weighting will be paid for
postings at boma, payam and county levels. This hardship allowance
will not be paid to those working in Juba or state capitals. Also
relocation allowance will be paid to those who are posted to Boma,
Payam and County level.”
Because the transitional constitution of South Sudan rules out Arabic
as co-official language in the new state, necessary retraining
programs. English will become the official language of South Sudan in
July. Training in English will be provided with the support of
international development partners.
As part of the 2005 peace deal English was made an official language
of Sudan along with Arabic.
The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) ministry of Labour and Public
Service will have the overall responsible body for the allocation of
personnel to different sectors, agencies and levels, in consultation
with a broader returns committee consisting of relevant institutions
that has yet to be established.
Following an assessment of vacancies and staffing requirements at the
GoSS, state, county, payam and boma levels, the GoSS Committee on
Returns will make recommendations as to be the revised establishment
ceiling for the civil service.
Those who have professional qualifications and experience such as
teachers, lecturers, doctors and health workers, lawyers will
generally be absorbed into their relevant professional discipline and
the associated line ministry or department at local government level.
However, the policy framework says the GoSS retains the right to
recruit professionals into alternative sectors and agencies, should
the need arise.
Once a decision has been made by the Committee, lists of all those to
be redeployed will be published and provided to each institution.
Public servants returning from the North who are already receiving
their pension from the National Pension Fund (NPF) will continue to
receive their pension from the NPF. Those who are retiring in the
South will be paid by the GoSS.
In the policy framework, South Sudanese in the Diaspora are likewise
encouraged to return home and to contribute to the building of the new
nation of South Sudan. They are also strongly encouraged to relocate
to the state level and in particular to rural areas to support the
rural transformation of the new country and to avoid overcrowding of
the capital city, Juba.
(ST)
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