Activist asks gov’t to disclose president’s whereabouts amid growing public concerns

JUBA – A prominent activist is appealing to South Sudan government to come out publicly and disclose the whereabouts of President Salva Kiir amid growing public concerns over the president’s whereabouts and health.

Yesterday, minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomuro told a gathering of UN diplomats in Juba that the president was outside the country and that a meeting that was supposed to be opened by him had to be postponed.

“His Excellency recognizes the importance of this gathering and we want him to be present to be able to lead and sign this important document,” Lomuro said.

“To give ourselves time for the President to return back [to the country] and also to be able to allow some of your colleagues (UN diplomats) who are traveling. I hope this apology is received in good faith and with honesty,” Lomuro added without disclosing where the country has travelled.

Speaking in a recorded statement extended to Sudans Post this afternoon, Activist Edmund Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) urged the government to come and declare the president’s whereabouts and state of health.

“I’d like take this opportunity to raise a concern on an information that I have seen in several media outlets about the movement of the president out of the country and the media outlets describe the movement of his excellency the president, that the president has left the country to unknown location,” Yakani said.

“The concern we have is the use of the language to ‘unknown’ location. His excellency the president is a symbol of the country. He is an image of the country. As a member of the public, as a member of the citizens, as a citizen of this country, we have a best interest to know where our president has gone.

“And the movement of our president is an issue of public interest. So, I would like to urge the leadership of the country to respond to this ongoing information in the public domain that our president has left to unknown location.

“We are concerned, we are disturbed by hearing that information that our president has left to unknown location and constitutionally, we have the right to know whereabouts of our president, where has he gone.

“So therefore, I will take this opportunity to urge the government to officially respond to this ongoing information that President has left to a location where the media described as unknown location. This is something that we are concerned of it because his ex as the president, is the symbol of our nation. Thank you very much.”