By Mary Poni
A women leader said despite the roadmap extending the transitional period for two years, the country still experiences increase of violence, food insecurity, poor health wellbeing of citizens amongst other devastating occurrences.
Ambassador Sitona Abdallah Osman, the Director General for International Relation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said though women have not been of the cake sharing among the parties, their major concern in the extension is a total social peace in the country.
She was speaking during the Annual National Women Leaders Conference in Juba this week.
“Peace within ourselves, in my home, in the community and generally in the country,” she underscored.
Amb. Abdallah defined social peace as service delivery to the citizens saying that’s the kind of peace that the whole country need.
She encouraged women to network with each other such that they can know how to manage their homes and community’s relation to avoid violence which generates conflict.
“What are the things that we are supposed to do within the twenty-four months in the communities?” Amb. Abdallah questioned.
She emphasized that they have to work on their feet to fight for their rights as women.
“We have to work together to make a very strong strategies within this time for everyone who is coming from the State, you have to be alert and always have eyes in your States of what you can do to change the state to better one,” she said.
The Director General for International Relations encouraged South Sudanese to be the first agents for change and development in the communities, citing that for instance if there is a school in the community, the community members have to take responsibility.
“The community leaders or youth have to be observant enough to make sure that good teaching materials are provided to the teachers and also making sure that the teachers are doing their jobs and the nature of the school if it has toilets and shelters, health facilities including many other observations,”
“You need to have a very good network with your governors, commissioners and all the institutions in the community because it is you to monitor how they are working and how we can influence them during the 24 months’ period to benefit the natives living in the particular communities,” she stressed.
Amb. Abdallah urged the citizens not to rely heavily on the national government saying it is the mandate of every citizen of this nation to do the right things in their various capacities and that is how peace will prevail.
“Let’s engage our children in activities by creating or getting for them jobs in the government especially in the states government and people should get close to the governors because they are actually the very ones that we should be on their neck in these twenty-four months,” she noted.
Abdallah however reiterated that all the services should be delivered to the people, be it the roads, schools, health care and many others.
“Our good work is the one that will restore peace to this country,” Amb. Abdallah noted.
She called on both women and men to stay connected to the state government especially the governors for the extended period to yield results.