Residents of Jonglei state went on the streets of Bor town on Monday to
peacefully protest the high cost of living in the area.
The residents expressed frustration and urged the government
to address the escalating prices of essential goods and services in Marol
Market.
The demonstrators demand immediate measures to alleviate the
financial burden on households and ensure affordable living conditions.
Some of the protestors who spoke on anonymity to Mingkaman
FM in Bor say the current inflations and rising in prices of goods have reduced
their purchasing power.
“We are here on the street to tell the government that we
are tired of the current economic situation. We have been staying hoping that
the government will do something but unfortunately, they did nothing. We need
the government to reduce the prices of food items in the market. Women are now
dying because of hunger, the run out of blood.”
They protestors told Mingkaman FM that they are protesting the general
situation of South Sudan and urge the government attention to the living condition.
“The dollar is affecting us. We need the government to
address all these issues, that is our call. We cannot afford to stay in this
horrible situation and the government is here.’’
According to protesting residents, 25 kgs of bean is sold at
120,000 South Sudanese pounds, 5 liters of cooking oil at SSP25, 000, 50 kgs of
Maize Floor at SSP110,000 in the markets.
They say, with the little government salaries that keep
delaying, they are being pressed down by the living condition.
“We are not able to pay our children school fees and
medications, public hospitals are lacking drugs and government schools are not
working. We go to private clinics, and they are now rejecting our children.’’
“We are telling the government to reduce dollar prices it is
not allowing us to buy anything in the market because of it daily increase. We
are going to demonstrate until the government do something.’’
While addressing the protestors on the street, the Mayor of
Bor Municipal Council, John Matiop Achiek acknowledged the dire situation and
attributed it to the lack of food processing factories in the country.
“Even though I can take your document what are we going to
do with it, and we don’t have options. We are depending on import; we bring
maize floor and bean from outside making it difficult for us to stabilize this
current economy,” said Matiop.