Presidential Order Welcomed for Stabilizing Situation in Abyei and Twic Mayardit

In a positive development, Mr. Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has expressed his appreciation for the presidential order issued on Tuesday to address the violent situation between the Abyei administrative area and Twic Mayardit of Warrap state.

“We welcome this positive response to our previous calls for the president to intervene,” stated Mr. Yakani. 

“We see the directives under the presidential order as very strict and we welcome them. As CEPO, we will follow these directives, which focus on observation, utility, and governance, and will continue engaging political elites, military leaders, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders in dialogue for lasting peace between the two sister communities of Abyei and Twic Mayardit.”

Mr. Yakani also highlighted the importance of the directives given to spiritual leaders, urging them to remain disciplined and avoid committing violence between the two communities. 

He expressed hope that the same spirit employed by the president to stabilize the situation between Twic Mayardit and Abyei would be applied to the ongoing conflict in Jonglei State between Duk County and Pibor administrative areas, as well as the situation involving the spiritual leaders and youth.

“We believe that this particular strategy used by the president should be extended to other similar instances of violence, such as the situation in Kondokoro and other parts of the country,” Yakani added.

“It is now a critical moment for the high political leaders of the country to intervene in these violent situations and make effective decisions to hold accountable the spiritual leaders who are fueling violence among our communities.”

However, Mr. Yakani also called upon the political and spiritual leaders to refrain from politicizing the implementation of the presidential resolutions. He urged them to distance themselves from any attempts to exploit the situation for personal gain.

The presidential order has been seen as a significant step towards peace and stability in the affected areas, and it is hoped that it will serve as a model for resolving conflicts elsewhere in the country. 

The eyes of the nation are now on the political leaders to take decisive action and bring an end to the violence that has plagued South Sudan for far too long.