By Anak Dut
The Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani appealed to the leaders to cease hostilities and violence in the country.
He said peace cannot be attained if none of the leaders shows a sense of honesty and sincerity.
“A deficit in trust and confidence that has made the dragging of feet for implementing the revitalized peace agreement, is a result of lack of honesty and sincerity,” Yakani explained.
The activist stressed that politics in South Sudan has been played at the expense of the lives of innocent citizens, creating an economical hardship for the common citizens.
He said this has also created an atmosphere where soldiers’ lives, after they voluntarily dedicate themselves to provide peace and stability, are turned into an enemy of their own citizens.
Yakani appealed to the leaders to hold a meeting to translate the call for peace and dialogue by Pope Francis, IGAD and the out cry of the citizens of South Sudan into a decision that makes peace and prevails for the common interests of every South Sudanese in the country.
“He kissed your feet, he visited the country, he now wrote a letter at his age urging our leaders at the presidency to give peace and stability a chance for the best interests of the people of South Sudan.”
According to Yakani, the letter from the Pope was a clear demonstration of the spirit of solidarity with the people of South Sudan.
“It is a spirit of wishing South Sudanese peace and stability, and it is a demonstration of an ask for our leaders to demonstrate political accountability for embracing peace and stability for the best interests of the people of South Sudan,” Yakani explained.
Various bodies and organizations have called for peace and dialogue in South Sudan over the past few days.
Last week, the United States Ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler, made an appeal for peace and reconciliation in the country, urging leaders and citizens alike to abandon violence and work toward a lasting solution.
Speaking at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Juba, Adler emphasized the urgent need for national unity, especially in light of recent violent incidents in Upper Nile State.
“This is a particularly appropriate time for this event,” said Adler, acknowledging the ongoing Christian season of Lent and the Muslim observance of Ramadan. “It is a time when many people around the world, including many South Sudanese, focus on prayer, repentance, and reconciliation.”
The Ambassador reflected on South Sudan’s turbulent history, noting that if he were South Sudanese, his life would have been shaped by four civil wars. “My deepest wish for your country is that the South Sudanese people have peace,” he stated.
The calls for peace and dialogue were also shared by the European Union and the Norwegian Ambassador. The European Union Ambassador to South Sudan, Timo Olkkonen urged South Sudanese leaders to embrace dialogue and avoid any escalation of conflict in the country.
Ambassador Olkkonen made the call during his meeting with the Vice President for Service Delivery Cluster, Josephine Lagu on Wednesday in which they discussed key issues affecting the nation.
“This was a courtesy call to congratulate her on her nomination and go through some of our common agendas,” Olkkonen stated.