By William Madouk Garang
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has said power struggle will not benefit the country in any way but rather toss the nation into total destruction and fiery furnace.
Addressing congregation at St. Theresa Cathedral parish on the Christmas Day, President Kiir cited that it’s now a time to concentrate on development and service delivery to the people of South Sudan.
“We are supposed to concentrate on the development of our country, we have no road in South Sudan” the President said.
“We should concentrate on how we serve our people and it shouldn’t be a leadership war. Power struggle will not take us anywhere, we have to look on ways on how to serve our people” he continued.
Mr. President said that they had fought the liberation war wholeheartedly and committed themselves until independence was achieved in 2011, unfortunately the country was plunged into internal conflict.
“We went back again and fought among ourselves something that increase our sufferings and we have been condemned by the whole world. Because there was no reason for liberating the country and then turn the same guns against ourselves” he lamented.
Dr. Machar should apologize to citizens
Kiir also declared that, he has forgiven his main bitter rival Dr. Riek Machar asserting that it’s now up to Machar to make an apology to the nation.
“I want to tell you today that, I have forgiven Dr. Riek Machar who has been fighting this since 1991. It will be up to him to apologize to the nation or not but I have forgiven him” he stressed.
Last week, however, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba, Stephen Martin Ameyo blamed the ongoing conflict in the country on greed for wealth among politicians.
Cleric Ameyo urged citizens and leaders to change their hearts, adding that as the religious leaders they have made efforts to communicate restoration message to political figures but it yielded no fruits.
“Our war was not seriously political but it is a war for scrambling wealth or riches because others believe they are not taken care of. Political leaders really have to compromise and prevail” Bishop Ameyo said in his Christmas message.
“Compromise has to be a radical one so that peace to the common people our leadership should also work towards assigning war to history. When there is no violence, this is a sign that God is working his own ways to our hearts” he added.
Ameyo further condemned the on-going deadly conflict in Upper Nile, Mangalla and some parts of the country.
“Today if you see our people who are dispersed in Malakal and many other places, they were dispersed and no one is taking care of them. This is because our humanity has not been restored into its original status” the cleric added.
“These NGOs that come from Europe to help us, some of them are shot, killed but still they insist staying here. This extra ordinary courage is not human but God gave them” man of God grieved.