Activist warns leaders against use of violence as elections loom

Amnon Free Press Partner Content

President Salva Kiir Mayardit (right) and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar (left) named new road after Pope Francis. [Photo courtesy]
President Salva Kiir Mayardit (right) and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar (left) named new road after Pope Francis. [Photo courtesy]

JUBA, OCTOBER 1, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – A prominent activist in South Sudan has warned the country’s leaders against the use of violence to solve grievances as the world’s youngest country prepare for what will be its first-ever elections.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) urged the leaders to show non-violent attitudes by implementing the revitalized peace agreement.

“Timely implementation of the pending tasks of the R-ARCSS ranging from adequate financing of the redeployment of the first graduate unified forces, reconstitution and financing of the political transitional institutions,” Yakani said in the statement.

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Yakani specifically appealed to the leaders for timely reconstitution of the Political Parties’ Council, the National Elections Commission, and the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) in addition to the opening of the political and civic space.

The activist also called for enactment of the transitional justice legislations and deliverance of the required reforms on issues of public finance management, legislations and institutional functions including the resumption of Rome peace talks.

The activist went on to describe unnamed members of the transitional government as profiteers of violence in South Sudan, something he said must stop.

“Some individuals in the government and communities have turned into profiteers of violence. This must stop now through embracing non-violent way of resolving our political or communality differences,” he said.

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Yakani however said that some of the political culture that create political indiscipline and lack of political maturity is “the practice of resolving misunderstanding or dispute in violent without demonstration of any kind of tolerance or compromise.”

“Recently we observed growth of this political attitudes among some of our law makers during their conduct of parliamentary business in relation to passage of national budget for finance year 2023/2024, national elections act 2012 (amendment) bill, 2023 likely the same may be repeated during the thirds of some pending bills before the parliament,” he stressed.

The outspoken activist noted that as result of violent political activities of the South Sudan leaders, most of the public funds have been diverted to the security sector and peace efforts and said that “these acts are concrete foundation for corruption”

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“Since 2013 till today in the name of preventing or responding to violence been it political and communal billions of South Sudanese pounds were misappropriated,” he added.

Last week, the undersecretary in the ministry of information, Yath Awan, advised the citizens and leaders to choose dialogue to settle problems that would trigger conflicts, arguing that conflict should be avoided.