South Darfur cuts salaries for security measures

The state of South Darfur will deduct an amount of SDG10 ($1.80) from its empoyees’ salaries in order to finance the emergency measures mechanism, set up to reduce the criminality in the state and its capital. The Deputy Governor of South Darfur, Mahdi Mohamed Bosh, said that the authorities are determined to impose a state of emergency in the localities which are witnessing insecurity. The new tax on the workers’ salaries will finance patrols to enforce the emergency measures. The employees in the state denounced the new measure, saying that they are forced to take the burden of the costs of the emergency operations. An employee stressed to Radio Dabanga that they are already paying health and security taxes, and cannot double the pays. Security has been allocated an open budget, the source claimed, including deductions from the workers’ salaries. “We believe that the deduction does not hold any legal or moral justifications.” Emergency mechanism On 15 July, the South Darfur State Governor issued a number of emergency measures, in an attempt to reduce the criminality in the capital. A special Emergency Court was established in the capital of Nyala to speedily try offenders of the new measures. They include a prohibition of wearing masks, firing guns, and a ban on motorcycles. The Commissioner of Nyala North stated that the authorities would focus on Nyala North, and in particular El Riyadh district, which is the stronghold of the Rapid Support Forces, and the Border Guards militias. File photo: Nyala city (Hamid Abdulsalam/Unamid) Related: ‘Criminals flee South Darfur capital’ (5 August 2014) Strict security measures in South Darfur capital (28 July 2014) Gireida, South Darfur, imposes fees for ‘protection’ (25 July 2014)