By Yiep Joseph
Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has called on political leaders to build trust and engage in political compromise.
In a message to the media, Yakani urged leaders and parties to focus on compromise and implement peace as the country approaches its Independence Day celebration in July.
His statement followed a series of disagreements, including the removal and appointment of officials to the government, as well as delays in peace implementation.
Yakani noted that the continuous lack of trust and compromise among the leaders and parties to the peace agreement has left the country in a state of instability and has delayed the implementation of the peace agreement.
He emphasized the need for all political elites to engage in political compromises as the country heads toward the Independence Day celebration.
“As we approach our Independence Day on July 9, our leaders need to make effective and substantial political compromises that will allow them to work together and transition the country,” Yakani said.
The activist called on leaders to organize a conference where they can dialogue and ensure that peace prevails in the country.
“One of the things we are advocating for a civil society, and CEPO in particular, is the rollout of three conferences between our religious leaders and political leaders,” he stated.
He expressed that the lack of trust among leaders remains a significant challenge, creating delays in the implementation of the peace agreement.
“Since the outbreak of violence in 2013 and again in 2016, the political trust and confidence among the actors who are signatories to the R-ARCSS have fallen below expectations, causing delays in the transition for six long years,” he said.
“The deficit in trust and confidence among the parties, coupled with personal grievances that our leaders have from the history of struggle, has hindered progress,” Yakani added.
He appealed to leaders to build trust, citing that it will enhance a successful transition from war to peace.
“As a civil society activist, we take this opportunity to appeal to our political class, political elites, and leaders that for a successful transition to occur in South Sudan, it genuinely requires significant political compromise,” he said.
“Without political compromises now, the transition of South Sudan from violence to peace could take decades. We are worried that this may mean the deterioration of citizens’ lives, the protection of civilians may be jeopardized, and their safety and livelihoods will be at risk,” Yakani explained.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, declared independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. Its journey to independence is a complex narrative of colonial legacies, prolonged conflicts, and the pursuit of identity.