Activist Yakani among dozens of African counterparts attending US-Africa summit

WASHINGTON — South Sudan civil society leader Edmund Yakani is among dozens of African activists attending the US-African Leaders summit taking place in Washington DC, and stressed that the summit offers great opportunity for sharing ideas between the United States and Africa.

“The summit offers great opportunities for sharing ideas and experiences between civil society leaders of Africa and their US counterparts in order to shape better public governance that embrace democratic values where the best interest of the citizens is at the heart of decision making of the government and use of national revenue,” Yakani said.

The US-Africa summit is taking place from December 13 to December 15 and brings together nearly 50 African heads of state for an opportunity to meet US President Joe Biden, but President Kiir who was invited has instead dispatched his minister of foreign affairs Mayiik Ayii Deng.

The summit started today with the US-American civil society forum in which former US ambassador to the United Nations and USAID Administrator Samantha Power and some African leaders gave speeches.

“The opening of the session was remarkable with the participation of Samantha Power, USAID Administrator, Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia, H.E. prime minister Ulisses Correa Silva of Cabo verde and H.E. president Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia with their remarkable opening speeches,” Yakani said.

“Civil society is viewed as an instrumental player of the society in non-violent democratic transformation in situation like in our own country South Sudan that is facing critical political transition from violence to peace the rough the implementation of the peace agreement (R-ARCSS),” Yakani stressed.

The prominent activist who has been calling on leaders to commit to the implementation process of the revitalized peace agreement urged the the civil society to be embraced in order to ease transformation of society.

“Finally, CEPO is urging our political leaders in South Sudan to embrace the effective participation of civil society in public governance and democratic transformation in our society,” Yakani added.