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South Sudan's judges declare nationwide strike

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

The South Sudan Assembly of Judges and Justices on Tuesday declared a nationwide strike over administrative matters and poor working conditions.

Chairperson of the Judges and Justices Committee, Khalid Abdalla Mohamed told Xinhua that all courts across the country would cease to operate after talks mediated by the office of the president to end the dispute between the judges and the Chief Justice failed to materialize.

The strike came after the body last week suspended it in order to engage in negotiations with President Salva Kiir. The group is demanding the resignation or removal of the Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut.

"We asked the president to ask the honorable Chief Justice to resign or the President should sack him. Unfortunately, none of these two things happened. Our open strike started from today (Tuesday). It is either us or the Chief Justice to go. No court in South Sudan will open unless the President removes him," Mohamed said.

Apart from resignation of the Chief Justice, the judges are also demanding enactment of judicial laws, transport allowances, improvement of working conditions, and creation of court rooms to each judge across the country, among others.

Last year, judges across South Sudan staged a month-long strike citing the same complaint they made this year.

The strike was ended after the government agreed to meet the demands, but until now failed to implement some of the promises. Endit