South Sudan commences processes of issuing new travel and ID documents
By Ngor Arol Garang
July 29, 2011 (JUBA) – The Republic of South Sudan on Friday confirmed it was in the process of issuing new travel and ID documents to all the citizens, explaining that the process is expected to help the government know the number of citizens in need and those that are holding legitimate documents.
The Inspector General of South Sudan police, Acuil Tito, told journalists on Friday that the process will also help the government to get rid of ghost workers in its pay rolls, identify students who deserve loans in institutions of higher learning and bolster security related information across the country.
“Processing all the necessary traveling like passport, birth certificate and the national identification is very important at this time since we have just attained our independence. The process was started this week and it will continue”, said General Acuil.
“The ministry of interior will set up offices in all the ten states and possibly in the counties,” he said explaining further that the government has informed state authorities to facilities the processes in their places in collaboration with the national ministry of interior.
The senior officer said IDs would equally be issued to citizens aged above 18 years old and foreigners resident in South Sudan who have accepted and recognized by the constitution of South Sudan. Meanwhile, he said that the country is enjoying relative peace, but expressed concern over the tendency by some opposition political leaders of inciting public unrest.
“Some political leaders have been causing unrest by mobilising and providing military support to some renegade[s] after the 2010 general elections. They are using Khartoum as their supporting base”, he said.
There are several rebel groups active in South Sudan.
He said that although on one hand the leaders have the right to criticise the government, it was unfair to interfere with the and safety of the people of South Sudan.
He blamed politicians for interfering with what he called valuable time which could have otherwise been spent on more productive activities and expressed concern that it was the same leaders who claimed that the South Sudanese lived in abject poverty, but who convinced people to engage in taking up arms.
“If the time spent on mobilising people and talking tribal politics is used on matters that could improve the welfare of South Sudanese surely this would help in reducing poverty in the country,” he said.
(ST)
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