Kiir must answer 5 fresh demands to deliver 2023 peace promise – Yakani  

JUBA, January 5^th 2023 (Sudans Post) – South Sudan’s prominent civil society activist Edmund Yakani is appealing to President Salva Kiir Mayardit to live up to its promise to bring permanent peace in the world’s youngest country in 2023 by meeting five demands the activist said are prerequisites for peace to prevail in the new year.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post, Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said the civil society watchdog has renamed its ‘Center for Peace, Mediation and Dialogue’ initiative to CEPO ‘Peace House’ in order to monitor promised government efforts to bring peace in 2023.

“CEPO Peace House (formerly Center for Peace, Mediation and Dialogue) is taking this opportunity to play in translating the call made by president for year 2023 to be year of forgiveness, reconciliation and development,” the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said in a statement extended to Sudans Post this morning.

“This is a great call if political commitment is availed for operationalization without any form of restrictions on matters of public engagement. Forgiveness, reconciliation and development is urgent required values by the public as state peace and stability is concerned,” he added.

Yakani said the CEPO Peace House “is an initiative aimed at bringing to the attention of the country’s political leadership five working points for actualization of the president’s call for year 2023 to be year of forgiveness, reconciliation and development.”

The activist said these demands include (1) unrestricted civic and political space for consultative dialogues, (2) show of political commitment to ending disputes, implementation of chapter five of the revitalized peace agreement and for (3) government officials to abstain from interfering in the reconciliation process.

He also asked the politicians (4) to embrace attitudes of accepting the reality that constitute the concrete solutions to accurate problems” and to also (5) avoid involvement in manipulation of the reconciliation process between citizens.

“Forgiveness and reconciliation prevail in a society where it’s members politically demonstrates political maturity and commitment for transforming the situation from violence to peace and stability,” the prominent activist said.

“Peace and stability are values of political success of a government that adhere to constitutional governance and obligation of taking proactive responsibility on provision of safety and security of individual and community. Government that its administration is handle politically with politicians that are indiscipline and high higher deficits in trust and confidence usually never deliver forgiveness and reconciliation,” Yakani stressed.