South Sudan Launches Mobile Money to Boost Recovery From Warhttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/1919691/south-sudan-launches-mobile-money-boost-recovery-war
South Sudan Launches Mobile Money to Boost Recovery From War
In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, a man sits in his mobile money kiosk which specializes in sending money from South Sudan to Uganda, in the capital Juba, South Sudan. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Asharq Al-Awsat
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South Sudan Launches Mobile Money to Boost Recovery From War
In this photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, a man sits in his mobile money kiosk which specializes in sending money from South Sudan to Uganda, in the capital Juba, South Sudan. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Angelo Adud needed some persuading to leave his job as a shopkeeper and become a mobile money agent in South Sudan. Yet one week into his new role, the 29-year-old already saw a return on his investment.
"This is a new country and digital things are hard to understand. I was worried, what if no one comes?" he said while helping a customer withdraw money in his newly rented space in the back of a parking lot in the capital, Juba.
Adud said he earned more in commissions in one week than he would make in a month in his shop.
South Sudan has launched mobile money, the ability to send and receive funds by phone, in an attempt to boost the economy after a five-year civil war killed almost 400,000 people, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Two companies launched in August: m-GURUSH, owned by local tech firm Trinity Technologies, and Nilepay, a telecommunications firm with Kenyan and South Sudanese owners. Both have partnered with Zain, one of South Sudan's two mobile operators.
In recent weeks Juba's streets have filled with ads urging people to start banking from their phones.
The companies are relying on people who have already used mobile money in neighboring countries like Kenya and Uganda to persuade hesitant locals that it is a more financially secure option than carrying cash.
More than 80% of money in South Sudan is not kept in banks since most of them are based in Juba, said Darius Mobe, director of the Nilepay platform.
"Mobile money should make access to funds easier for people in rural villages, creating more financial inclusion, which means people can play a bigger role in the economy," he said.
But many challenges need to be overcome before mobile money becomes widespread, including high illiteracy rates and a lack of ID cards needed for people to register with the service.
Only 16% of the population has ID cards, according to the government, which means people can receive money but are charged more to withdraw it and are unable to send cash.
Nilepay said it is trying to establish biometric registration using fingerprints, among other types of registration.
The main barrier, however, is a weak telecommunications network, without which mobile transfers won't work.
In South Sudan, which ranked 178 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption index last year, financial experts and businesses say there needs to be proper accountability measures, including vetting of mobile money companies' procedures and adherence to customer confidentiality.
"I don't feel there are currently enough controls in place. All parties involved need to share anti-money laundering mechanisms they're going to use such as knowing where the source of the money is coming from," said Jeremy Gisemba, business development and marketing director for Lem international, an Eritrean-owned trading company based in South Sudan.
Some locals are wary about trusting telecom networks. Last year Vivacell, a popular mobile company, was shut down overnight, locking out hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
South Sudan's government said Vivacell was closed for not complying with regulations.
According to AP, to enhance mobile security, the government wants to install a system that gives telecom regulators and the Central Bank direct access to records instead of relying on third parties, Nilepay and m-GURUSH, to provide the information, said Ladu Wani Kenyi, director general for the national communications authority.
Jamal Mustafa: Saddam Said ‘Qassim Was Honest, But the Party Ordered His Assassination’https://english.aawsat.com/features/5085477-jamal-mustafa-saddam-said-%E2%80%98qassim-was-honest-party-ordered-his-assassination%E2%80%99
Jamal Mustafa: Saddam Said ‘Qassim Was Honest, But the Party Ordered His Assassination’
Jamal Mustafa Sultan.
Jamal Mustafa Sultan, Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law and former deputy secretary, recalled how the late Iraqi president viewed former Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim as an honorable and brave man even though he was involved on an attempt on his life.
In the third installment of his interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mustafa said: “In 1959, a fateful decision by Iraq’s Baath Party, led by Fuad al-Rikabi, changed the course of a young man’s life. The party planned a bold attempt to assassinate Iraqi leader Abdul Karim Qassim on Oct. 7.”
When a team member dropped out shortly before the operation, Saddam, then a little-known young man, was brought in. During the ambush on Al-Rashid Street in Baghdad, Qassim was slightly injured, and Saddam was wounded by shrapnel in his leg, said Mustafa.
After the failed attempt, al-Rikabi and other senior Baath members, including Hazem Jawad and Ali Saleh al-Saadi, fled to Syria. There, al-Rikabi kept asking about Saddam until he learned that Saddam had also escaped, organizing his secret journey to Syria on his own.
Hazem Jawad, a key Baath Party leader, recalled the moment Saddam Hussein became a full party member. In a small underground apartment in Damascus, Fuad al-Rikabi led a meeting with several party members, including himself, Ali Saleh al-Saadi, and Medhat Ibrahim Juma. “Fuad praised Saddam, calling him courageous and loyal, and proposed accepting him as a full member. We all agreed,” said Jawad, according to Mustafa.
“Saddam, a tall young man with piercing eyes and dark skin, stood before us. Fuad recited the party oath, and Saddam repeated it, officially joining the Baath Party,” he continued.
“We spent the next two hours talking over tea and cake. Before leaving, Fuad announced his trip to Cairo. Saddam also asked for permission to go to Egypt to continue his law studies. We approved, as it wasn’t safe to return him to Iraq after his involvement in the assassination attempt on Abdul Karim Qassim,” recounted Mustafa.
Saddam’s respect for Qassim
It’s uncommon for a leader to praise a predecessor who survived an assassination attempt against them, but Saddam did just that. Mustafa shared the story during a meeting.
“President Qassim, may God have mercy on him, was brave and honest,” Saddam said, according to Mustafa. “I respect him for serving Iraq with integrity.”
“We were young and impulsive. We didn’t think about the reasons behind the operation or what might happen afterward. We didn’t even consider who could replace Qassim if he were gone.”
When told that Qassim’s sister was his only surviving family member, Saddam instructed that she be given a car and financial support.
Saddam also treated former President Abdul Rahman Arif with respect, despite efforts to tarnish his legacy. Mustafa noted that campaigns to smear Arif were part of a broader attempt to justify Iraq’s invasion and undermine its independence. He urged historians to seek the truth and challenge false narratives.
Abdul Karim Qassim. (Getty Images)
Mustafa's reflection on Saddam
When asked if Saddam had made mistakes, Mustafa replied: “Mr. President worked for Iraq’s progress. Like anyone, he sometimes got things right and sometimes wrong, but his goal was always to elevate the country.”
“He had no interest in wealth. Over 20 years, investigators searched for assets linked to him—land, money, anything—but found nothing. Even his political opponent, Iyad Allawi, confirmed this. Saddam was strict about protecting public funds, and this extended to his children as well,” he added.
He also criticized the current government, accusing it of seizing land and displacing Iraqis.
“They’ve taken properties from displaced residents and given them to foreigners, including Iranians, Pakistanis, and Afghans. Areas like Jurf al-Sakhar and Al-Awja have been emptied, with residents banned from returning. Some lands are controlled by foreign military intelligence, impacting not just Iraq but the region. Christians have also lost properties to militias,” noted Sultan.
He shared his own losses: “My family’s land, passed down for generations, was confiscated. An orchard over 250 years old and another property from my great-grandfather, over 200 years old, were taken simply because we’re linked to the former regime. Even if a child in our family registers property now, it’s immediately seized.”
He added: “My family and others have lost everything. While some managed to sell or keep a few properties, all of ours were taken.”
Criticism of Moqtada al-Sadr, Iraq's sectarian divide
Mustafa expressed disappointment in Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr after the fall of Saddam’s regime.
“Moqtada knows the truth about who killed his father. He attended investigation meetings and knows the details. His father, Mohammad al-Sadr, had influence and even criticized the regime in Friday sermons. Despite warnings, he refused official protection before his assassination,” he said.
On claims that Saddam’s government was Sunni-dominated, Mustafa disagreed.
“At that time, we were all Iraqis. There was no emphasis on Sunni, Shiite, or Christian identities. Our shared Iraqi identity came first, and positions in the government, military, or party were based on merit. For example, Tariq Aziz, a Christian, held top roles, including foreign minister and deputy prime minister. Sectarianism wasn’t a factor,” he said.
He criticized the current leadership, accusing it of destroying Iraq’s unity.
“Today’s politics aim to change Iraq’s demographics and weaken the country. Millions of Iraqis have been displaced, not just one group but people from all regions. Over 10 million now live abroad. This isn’t a coincidence—it’s a deliberate effort to break Iraq’s unity and control its future,” noted Mustafa.
Returning to Iraq
When asked if he hopes to return to Iraq, Mustafa said: “Since 2003, all the governments in Iraq have been installed by the US occupation and are aligned with Iran to further its agenda in the region, even through militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. After the occupation began, Iran-backed militias targeted Iraq’s scientists, doctors and pilots, which led to over 10 million Iraqis fleeing the country. The human cost of this is immense and unacceptable.”
He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Of course, I want to return to Iraq. Every patriotic Iraqi who loves their country wants to return. It’s just a matter of time. We hope, God willing, that Iraq will be liberated and strong again, and when that happens, my family and I will be among the first to return.”
Mustafa also criticized Iran’s growing influence in the region: “People here are talking about Iran’s control over four Arab capitals: Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Sanaa. These countries are falling apart, with militias making the decisions, not governments. The policies being followed harm these nations’ interests and their Arab identity.”
He said Saddam quickly recognized a broader plot to destabilize Iraq and the region.
“Saddam saw Iraq as a barrier to a project aimed not only at Iraq, but at the entire Arab world, threatening their existence and role,” he said.
Mustafa also blamed Iran for starting the Iraq-Iran war, citing Tehran’s clear policy of exporting its revolution, as stated in its constitution.
When asked about reports that Iraqi intelligence proposed assassinating Iran's Supreme Leader Khomeini during his stay in Baghdad, Mustafa confirmed it but explained why Saddam rejected the idea.
“Saddam was a noble and honorable man. He would never allow harm to come to a guest, especially through betrayal. He would never consider or permit such a thing.”
