Amid insecurity, Fr. Pitia urges Southerners to love each other

By Isaac Vuni

May 17, 2009 (JUBA) – The main celebrant today at Kator cathedral in Juba, Fr. Phillip Pitia, said the Sunday reading is an appeal to all God’s people, especially communities of southern Sudan feuding with each other even after signing of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended a bloody and destructive war with Khartoum’s ruling government.

Fr. Pitia emphasized that the day’s theme was to love your brothers as you love yourself – an appeal to all mankind.

He added that God does not discriminate among the creature that he moulded, therefore southern Sudanese should work together with their leaders for promoting peace among themselves.

Among the congregation are Government of Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Professor George Bureng, a minister in the Government of National Unity in Khartoum, and Commissioner of Juba city Dr. Pious Subek.

Meanwhile Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Luha Tombekana Monoja said the Vice President of Government of Southern Sudan had left to Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, to officiate a conference of chiefs and kings for the first time in the history of southern Sudan. The chiefs and Kings came together to strategize on how to encourage their people to live in peace and harmony especially at a time of the coming general election in 2010 and referendum in 2011.

There are 900 chiefs and Kings attending the five day conference that includes observers from among the neighbouring Kenyan Lou chiefs, who already met with the GOSS president in Juba as state guests. Kiir himself is expected to travel there tomorrow to witness the historic gathering of grassroots leaders.

In another address to the congregation, South Sudan Legislative Assembly Speaker Hon. James Wani appealed for unity among southern Sudanese so as to benefit from the dividends of the CPA brought to ease unwarranted suffering. He reiterated the importance of maintaining unity in all states and counties of southern Sudan who are greatly affected by insecurity.

However, he commended the governor and people in Aweil, where he just had visited to mobilize for elections, for hard work and maintaining peace and unity in the state. The Speaker disclosed that registration for the coming general elections will start on November 6 while voting kicks off on February 6 and predicted that SPLM will get a ninety per cent leads in whole Sudan. But he cautioned that metropolitan Juba would require more work to get fifty percent of votes.

He assured the congregations that transformation to a multi-party system required recognition of parties and that the campaign ground for all registered parties will be free and fair.

Hon. Wani explained that the world financial crisis has also greatly affected southern Sudan because oil price dropped, affecting this quarter’s revenue sent from Khartoum for meeting salaries and services in southern Sudan and hence GOSS would be forced to reduce its manpower and salaries.

Regarding SPLM as a ruling party in Southern Sudan, the Speaker said it has done great achievements for increasing freedom of movement, expression and association to all. He also pointed to the inclusion southerners as cabinet ministers whereby even one is First Vice President of the Republic. He pointed also to radio having increased from one to 18 FM stations privately owned, public universities brought back to their original places supported by two private universities based in Juba, roads are opened and connected internationally and telecommunication has been opened to easily communicate with rural areas.

The Speaker advised the congregation not to depend on food being imported from Uganda rather urged them to produce their own food and vegetables by being active cultivators.

(ST)