South Sudan Urged to Work Towards Peace and Stability in 2024
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has called upon various constituencies of South Sudan society to come together and strive for genuine peace and stability in the year 2024. The responsibility to achieve this lies with the political leadership of the country and the conflicting parties.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, The Executive Director of CEPO, emphasized the need for a change in political attitudes among both the government and opposition groups in order to secure peace and stability.
“Peace and stability cannot be realized in South Sudan in 2024 if the various conflicting political entities’ leadership does not demonstrate political maturity and discipline.” He stated.
Yakani further highlighted the detrimental effects of the current political culture, characterized by rigidity and non-compromise, as well as the intentional delays in implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Looking ahead to 2024, Yakani emphasized the importance of creating an open civic and political space for genuine citizen engagement and democratic political transition. He called upon the political leadership to take concrete steps in nurturing political will and commitment, including adequate financing of the transitional processes.
The ongoing communal violence across the country has further exacerbated the situation, with some political elites using violence as a means to gain or maintain political power and control over resources. Yakani stressed the need for the political elites to prioritize peace and stability for the common interest of the nation and its citizens, rather than pursuing personal interests.
2024 is seen as a crucial year for testing the political elites of South Sudan, both in the government and opposition groups. Their actions will determine whether they prioritize peace and stability for the nation or continue to perpetuate political and economic instability for their own personal gain.
