S. Sudan president to attend UN General Assembly amid opposition protests
September 12, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan has confirmed that president Salva Kiir will attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York, despite protests from opposition groups calling on western countries to deny him the opportunity to interact with global leaders, claiming he lacks legitimacy to represent the country.
“The president will attend the General Assembly meeting of the United Nations, during which the country will be fully represented by the president and the accompanying delegation,” said Makol.
“It will be an opportunity for him to meet and interact with other heads of state and governments from the member states of the United Nations from around the world,” he added.
But while the government is keen to use the opportunity to seek support for efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the country, as well humanitarian and development assistance, opposition figures have protested against the visit, calling on the US to block the president and members of his government delegation from attending the meeting.
The SPLM in Opposition led by Riek Machar have been engaged in an armed struggle with the South Sudanese government since mid-December last year, with the rebel faction repeatedly questioning the legitimacy of Kiir’s leadership.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune on Friday, Ayii Ayiii Akol, the opposition’s deputy head of humanitarian affairs, questioned why the US and UN, who played a vital role in the South’s long struggle for independence from Sudan, would now accept Kiir’s attendance at such a high profile international meeting.
“The world is full of people with short memories,” he said.
“For the United Nations to accept [the] participation of Salva Kiir at its General Assembly would be seen a clear backtrack and turning away from the core principles for which the international community stood with our people during liberation struggle,” he added.
Akol said the people of South Sudan were now in need of support from the international community more than ever, saying the ideals of the long liberation struggle for a “free, just, democratic and united society” had been hijacked by self interest and power hungry individuals at the expense of the core objective’s that the young nation was built on.
“The government of the United States and American people knows very well the important role they played during the liberation struggle of our people … Also the role of the United Nations in the struggle to end the suffering of our people during the liberation struggle was [an] exceptional example of the collective political [power] of the international community. It represented a clear victory of unity over division and victory of negotiation of over confrontation. It represented a clear commitment to the promotion of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, good governance, rule of law and democratic country,” Akol said.
“Allowing Salva Kiir to participate at such [a] high level meeting would seem to recognise the claim of the legitimacy of the man who has killed people from whom he claimed the legitimacy [to rule South Sudan] and divided the country,” he added.
He has also questioned why Machar and an opposition delegation weren’t also permitted to attend the meeting, which is due to take place from 22 to 23 September.
“The world should isolate this man and indeed allow someone who represents the hopes and aspirations of South Sudanese people to represent them at such [a] meeting,” said Akol.
(ST)