S. Sudanese in Ethiopia in hunger strike over peace deal deadline
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
August 16, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The South Sudanese communities in Ethiopia held a one-day hunger strike, urging IGAD and the International community to pressurise the South Sudan’s warring parties to halt fighting and sign a final peace deal by 17 August.
“As a peace ambassador, I sincerely regret to this end of the year for which South Sudanese leaders haven’t yet find a solution to this burning tragedy in their door”, he said.
The protest, Gatwech stressed, was for both parties to halt war for immediate peace.
“We do this because our hope is on IGAD-Plus Peace. War will not and never takes us anywhere instead will create more widows and orphans to our societies”, he said.
John Jack Deng, a former soldier who was exiled in Germany for more than 50 years, said peace would come no matter what obstacles are created by “enemies”.
Deng, who wrote many books in Nuer, including Nuer hymnals urged South Sudanese congregations and church leaders to work for peace and avoid siding with parties.
Teresa Tungdul, one of the female protestors, said that she was appealing to both parties to stop the castrations of young boys, raping women and burning like what happened in Unity State last month in May, 2015, saying that was beyond committing atrocities.
An estimated more than 400 people participated in the event held at Addis Ababa Yerer area.
The 20-months long conflict in the world’s youngest nation has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people as over 4.6 million remain at risk of facing hunger.
(ST)