Kiir of South Sudan banned from singing the national anthem in his absence | South Sudan

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has banned anyone from singing the national anthem unless he is present, according to a government minister.

Information Minister Michael Makuei told AFP Monday that various leaders and institutions were playing the anthem as they pleased, which was an abuse of the country's air, written shortly before independence in 2011.

"For the information of all, the national anthem is only intended for the president, as part of a function reserved for the president, not for everyone," he said. said Makuei.

"We now see even a minister, an under-secretary, even a governor or a minister of state, whenever there is a function, the national anthem is sung."

He added that Kiir 's order had been pbaded at a cabinet meeting on Friday.

Makuei said that with the exception of the South Sudan embbadies, which represented the president, and schools where the hymn was taught to children, no one was allowed to sing the song in the absence of Kiir.

The minister said that it was also forbidden for military leaders to address the public when they wore the uniform.

He did not specify what the punishment would be if the orders were not followed.

"These are orders and of course, when you disobey the president's orders, you carry your cross," Makuei said.

Civil war

South Sudan gained independence from its northern neighbor, Sudan, in 2011 after years of war between rebel groups in Khartoum.

In 2013, South Sudan sank into a ruinous civil war after Kiir sacked his entire cabinet and then MP Riek Machar after being accused of planning a coup. ;State.

Ethnic fighting soon erupted from the capital, Juba, in the poor state, closing oil fields, forcing millions to flee and tens of thousands of people killed.

The conflict has divided the country into ethnic groups and has resulted in mbad rape, forced recruitment of child soldiers and attacks on civilians.

It has caused one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises and has undermined the economy of a country whose major part of its income is oil production.

A power-sharing agreement returning Machar to the vice-presidency was signed in 2015. But he collapsed a year later during a deadly battle that saw Machar fleeing into exile.

The rebel leader and former vice president was due to return to Juba in May after signing a new peace agreement last September to end the war.

The agreement, under which Machar must return from exile to occupy the post of vice president in a power-sharing government, has suffered heavy delays.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies