Kiir accuses ‘smugglers’ of stealing South Sudan minerals

JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has accused unnamed smugglers of working illegal and stealing South Sudan minerals telling newly-appointed minister of mining to work in order to establish the country’s mining sector.

Kiir last week appointed Gen. Martin Abucha of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny as minister of mining which has been vacant since August.

Gen. Abucha who was the executive director in the office of the First Vice President as well as the representative of the SPLM-IO in the CTSAMVM replaces Henry D. Odwar who resigned to protest unwilling Kiir on peace implementation.

Speaking during the swearing in ceremony of the newly-appointed minister, Kiir blamed smugglers for looting South Sudan’s mining sector urging the new minister to work to restore orders in the mining industry.

“We have a lot of mineral but because we have not been able to manage the technology of how to mine the mineral we have not been using even a penny from the minerals,” he said.

“There are smugglers who are taking our minerals outside the country and they are selling them as their own product,” the South Sudanese president added.

“This is the task of Gama Martin Abucha, he will help to do these things, and leave behind whatever is dividing us, let’s work towards what will take us forward.”