Speaking on Terab Television during a Martyrs’ Day event in Juba on July 30, Bakosoro stressed the dangers of violent takeovers.
“Building a nation is not easy, even if you are on that chair, maybe even yours will be the worst. We complain only and complain but we don’t want to be like Sudan. When you chase a leader by force, the same curse will come back to you,” he said.
The event also featured speeches from notable figures, including former Deputy Speaker of Sudan’s National Legislature Atem Garang de Kuek, former Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, and former SPLM members Chier Chuang Aluong, Pieng Deng Kuol, and Achuil Malith Banggol. Officials from the country’s defense, security, and police sectors also attended.
Bakosoro lamented the treatment of wounded veterans who contributed significantly to South Sudan’s creation.
“It is a shame for me. Those people, who are there, it is a shame for us. In our culture and traditions, the person who allowed you to be free in your land, does not forget. Don’t forget,” he said.
He criticized South Sudanese leaders for abandoning the vision that led to the 1955 and 1983 civil wars, which ended with the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement and the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Bakosoro warned against forceful power transfers, referencing turmoil in Iraq, Libya, and Somalia.
South Sudan is grappling with an economic crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Sudan, through which it exports its oil.
Political instability has plagued the country since 2013. Consumer prices have doubled in recent months, and crime rates have risen.
Civil servants have gone unpaid for over nine months, sparking fears of nationwide protests that could threaten security.