Kiir directs security forces to forcefully bring down dollar, arrest traders who refuse to reopen shops

JUBA – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has directed security forces in the capital Juba to bring down dollar price to where it stood last week, and to also arrest traders who would not reopen their shops from tomorrow and have their commercial licenses withdrawn, two security sources have said.

The directives were made to the director general of the National Security Service during today’s emergency cabinet meeting, according to one security source

“The President has directed the minister of interior and the National Security Service Director of Internal Security Bureau to arrest anyone that will be selling dollar above 350 South Sudanese Pounds from tomorrow,” the security source told Sudans Post from Juba.

“All traders must open their shops tomorrow by 8:00 AM and those found still closing their shops will be arrested and will have their commercial licenses withdrawn,” another security source with direct knowledge said.

Separately, a senior government official from the ministry of finance said the cabinet has agreed during today’s meeting to ask for more loans from friends of South Sudan so that the dollar price is kept stable.

“The government has also resolved to ask for loan from the friends of South Sudan and this is going to be made immediately so that the stability of the dollar is kept at 350 SSP which will help traders bring more food so that we avoid prices skyrocketing against the people,” the official said.

‘Important changes’

Sudans Post has also learned from another government official that the president is going to make important changes in the country’s financial institutions as well as some units of the national security services so that their mandate conform with the latest directives.

The official said Kiir will give an unnamed unit of the NSS the duty to carry out anti-money-laundering powers saying this will help the security service arbitrarily arrest anyone who will be acting outside the latest presidential directives.

“You know, some of the people here in the market and who are in fact powered by some government officials are exploiting the current economic situation in the country. There is going to be mechanism to address this,” the official said.

“Some units in the NSS will be given the powers to execute the directives  of the president and arrest anyone acting outside these directives because the citizens of this country are important than anything else,” the official said.

These directives from the president comes as the South Sudanese economy is witnessing significant downfall.

Traders today told Sudans Post from Juba that one United States Dollar was being bought for SSP 830, an unprecedented rate, before falling back to SSP 64 this evening.

Some traders have also closed businesses over escalation of confusion ushered in by the dramatic changes in the dollar market.