By Bida Elly David
The First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar on Sunday donated one hundred million South Sudanese pounds to leadership structures and cultural groups heading the displaced persons at the UNMISS-run IDPs camp in Juba.
The FVP made the donation while addressing a Sunday Mass jointly organized by the Office of the First Vice President and the Presbyterian Church held at the Protection of civilians’ site – Checkpoint.
Speaking to the displaced persons on Sunday at the IDP camp, Dr. Machar said that the donated amount was meant to facilitate the activities and the affairs of the groups specifically with focus on peace initiatives.
He urged the IDPs to embrace Peace, Reconciliation and Forgiveness to enable the country move away from its troubled past and open a new chapter of peaceful coexistence and prosperity.
Dr. Machar reiterated that the Unified Forces will be deployed in two weeks’ time to provide protection and security guarantees to the citizens to allow free movement of people.
He further called on the IDPs to form a Committee for the Reclamation of looted land and properties to register and record claims to help the government act appropriately to return houses and properties to the rightful owners.
FVP Machar also urged the IDPs to end intercommunal conflicts among themselves in the Protection of Civilians site and work for the unity and development of the Country as the revitalized agreement guides the country towards a democratic process to elect the future leaders of South Sudan in free and fair elections in December 2024.
On his part, The Minister for Presidential Affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin echoed the same sentiments and called on the IDPs to voluntarily return to their original homes or be resettled in Juba in the areas that will be provided by the State government as directed by the President recently when he met the IDPs at Freedom Hall.
The representatives of the Internally Displaced Persons who spoke at the ceremony reaffirmed their full support and commitment towards the implementation of Revitalized Peace Agreement and appreciated Machar for the financial grant to the leadership of the PoC.
The peace prayer at the Protection of Civilians site (POC) held under the theme; “Come Together for a Peaceful South Sudan” was attended by more than fifty thousand (50,000) Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Senior government officials.