By Bosco Bush
As the 8th Governors Forum kicks off on Tuesday, a civil society activist is calling on the Presidency to evaluate and follow up outcomes of the previous 6th & 7th forum’s resolutions.
In the previous forums, critical resolutions were passed including peace initiatives aimed at reconciling the people torn apart by the conflict.
However, the activist said “none” of the peace initiatives have been implemented.
Ter Manyang, the leader of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), stated that there must be an issue either within the presidency or among the ten governors and three administrators that is hindering the implementation of the resolutions.
“We urge the President and the 1st Vice President to follow up on the resolution from the 6th and 7th Governor’s Forum in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations engaged in advocacy in the country,” said Ter Manyang
Governors Forum is an annual highest policy platform that brings together policy actors from all the country’s 10 states and 3 administrative areas to Juba to deliberate on a wide range of policy issues around governance and democratic principles.
Manyang said the forum should not serve as a platform where government officials waste significant amounts of money, but fails to provide meaningful resolutions that benefit ordinary citizens.
He emphasizes the 8th Governor’s Forum should concentrate on the recent extension of the R-ARCSS, security arrangements, economy, constitutional-making process, elections, population census, and repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from neighboring countries, as well as the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“Political elites must honor their words and actions to earn the trust of the people on national issues. The majority of South Sudanese are subjected to extreme poverty due to the lack of job opportunities created by the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU).”
“Without decent jobs, national security is at risk, as many young people are likely to contribute to instability in the country,” stated the activist.
The 8th Governors Forum is conducted under the theme “Forging Sustainable Peace: Committed Action in the Extended R-ARCSS Transition.”