Thousands mark S. Sudan’s fourth independence anniversary
July 9, 2015(BOR/WAU) – Tens of thousands of South Sudanese citizens thronged various parts of the country to commemorate four years since it seceded from Sudan.
At Bor Freedom Square in Jonglei state, various speakers made strong calls for peace and reconciliation among citizens in the young nation.
Jonglei, the country’s largest state, was one of the regions badly-hit by the outbreak of conflict in the country in mid-December 2013.
The caretaker governor, John Kong Nyoun, said the conflict has created lack of trust and confidence among people on tribal lines.
“Our state capital felt to the hands of the rebels on December 18th, 2013 for the first time and again on 31st of the same year. Despite the difficulties at the time, the security situation in Jonglei state is stable and promising,” Nyoun told those gathered at the celebrations.
“Our people are returning to their homes in huge numbers and life has returned to normalcy. Our main market is operating and businesses are as usual”, he added.
The governor reiterated the central government’s commitment to unconditionally end instability in the young nation, but stressed the importance of the East African mediators’ role in the peace process.
“The ongoing IGAD [Inter-governmental Authority on Development] -led peace in Addis Ababa and Arusha intra-party are the government attempts to restore peace and instability. The Arusha intra-party reconciliation had given birth to the reinstatement of Pagan Amum to his former position as the secretary general of the SPLM and return to Juba of the former detainees,” said Nyuon.
“All of these were done in good faith to open more avenues for permanent peace to prevail at home”, he further stressed.
He said his region will explore all avenues for peace at the grass roots, despite the importance of IGAD-led peace talks in Ethiopia.
“The real peace must always come from the people. That is why we opened a new venue for the grass-root mini peace conference in Poktap, Duk county earlier this year”, said Nyuon.
The Duk peace approach, he said, has already restored relative peace among the population in Duk, Uror, Nyirol and Ayod counties.
“This initiative would have not succeeded had it not been your commitment as one people. Let’s continue with that spirit to stabilise our state while waiting for the national approach to end the crisis”, stressed Nyuon.
“Our search for peace cannot be rushed. It needs a South Sudanese solution to do everything possible to befriend to our neighbors. We must abstain from provoking any situation that will cause harm and instability”, he added.
RELATIONS WITH GPAA
According to the governor, his administration witnessed improved relations with Pibor county since the establishment of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) in 2014.
He said the frequency of cattle raiding by some criminals from Murle has decreased and life was getting back to normalcy, courtesy of the efforts of GPAA chief administrator with the state government.
“To reinforce this remarkable change in the area of security, we are planning for a mini peace conference to open up trades between the neghbouring counties of Bor and Gumuruk,” said Nyuon.
SHUN VIOLENCE
The mayor of Bor town, Nhial majak Nhial used the occasion to advised Bor residents not to promote violence, but ideal peace.
“Don’t use the problems of the crisis to destabilise our security in the state. We should live peacefully in Bor”, Majak said at the occasion.
CELEBRATIONS IN WAU
A similar scene was also witnessed in Western Bahr el Ghazal state capital, Wau as thousands turned out to celebrate independence.
The state governor, Zakariah Hassan, urged citizens to put national interests at the forefront as South Sudan celebrates independence.
“Put the nation first before everything, this is my message to you all,” he said, adding “The war can destroy all of us and our newly independent nation if we cannot stop it”.
Hassan urged politicians and the two warring parties to put aside their differences and dialogue for sustainable peace in the country.
(ST)