Rebel leaders in US for S. Sudan humanitarian conference
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
April 16, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Leaders from South Sudan’s armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) are in the United States to attend a humanitarian conference organised by the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency’s (SSRRA) chapter there.
The conference, first for the rebel movement since it took arms against Juba, aims to raise funds to assist hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese living in dire conditions.
In an email statement to Sudan Tribune from New York on Thursday, the SPLM-IO representative to the United Nations, Miyong Kuon, said the South Sudanese diaspora had gathered at Eppley airfield terminal on Monday to welcome Hussein Mar Nyuot, chairman of the rebel faction’s national committee for humanitarian affairs, and Daniel Wuor Joak, representative to Scandinavian countries.
The two leaders reportedly arrived in the city of Omaha ahead of the conference hosted by SSRRA-USA, the humanitarian wing of the armed opposition movement.
The rebel group led by former vice-president Riek Machar established a humanitarian wing of the movement so as to facilitate the humanitarian needs of war-affected people in South Sudan particularly to those within the rebel held territories.
With more than four million at risk of hunger as a result of the current crisis in the country, the SSRRA-USA called on civil society organisations, NGOs, donors, US leaders and the diaspora to come together and strategise on how to avert the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Kuon said the conference will take place from 17 to 18 April in the Omaha, Nebraska under the theme “Creating Humanitarian Awareness and Peace Building in South Sudan”.
The SSRRA-USA, invited the general public, as well as all civil society organisations, NGOs, faith-based organisations and UN agencies in the US, to attend the humanitarian conference, which he said was crucial to saving lives.
There will be presentations, panel discussions, peace-building workshops and an update on the humanitarian situation from the SSRRA’s general headquarters.
It’s hoped the conference will increase awareness among individuals and NGOs interested in averting the humanitarian crisis in the country, while at the same time fostering better relationships between the relevant parties.
Nyuot and other rebel leaders are expected to brief members of the South Sudanese diaspora and it’s supporters across the US on the humanitarian crisis and current developments from the peace talks in Ethiopia.
More than 5,000 members of the South Sudanese diaspora, American politicians and faith-based groups are expected to attend the two-day conference.
(ST)