Western Equatoria dancers and artists to perform during peace day in Malakal
By By Richard Ruati
January 6, 2009 (MALAKAL) — Folklore dancers and local musicians from Western Equatoria State are expected to perform in this year’s celebration of the comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) due to be marked in Malakal in three days’ period.
Traditional heavy-weight, Sultan Tartizio Wandu is leading the traditional dancers, he says that, “history is expected to repeat itself in this year’s CPA event, as of before, WES had always emerged the winner of folklore dancing followed by the Acholi people of Eastern Equatoria.”
Mr. Emmy Yoere and Ms Sweet J, the WES’s best top artists are in full gear for the CPA day, Yoere says that, “he sees nothing on his way which is a stumbling block, all he wants, is to break the record,” for the state he refers to as his motherland.
Earlier this week the state government has dashed its representatives, headed by the State Minister of Social Development Grace Datiro into Malakal, capital of Upper Nile State. The celebrations of the peace agreement were organized last year in Wau.
Western Equatoria State, has filed an application to host the next half decade CPA event in Yambio. The State governor Jemma Nunu Kumba says that, “CPA event will bolster the economy of WES, hence enlightening the livelihood of the state citizenry.”
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed on January 9, 2005 in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The series of chapters in the CPA document has been welcomed by the Sudanese in the different parts of the country and particularly in southern Sudan.
Despite the euphoria surrounding the CPA event in Malakal, the performers and other officials are in total dismay because the budget of the occasion, 15 million US dollar, was allocated to build VIP quarters and the first stadium in southern Sudan.
However, organizers say that, “they have done a tremendous job, as the money was released to them two months ago, which a shortest period to set up a standard infrastructure.”
(ST)