Yakani condemns gov’t use of ‘bizarre and aggressive’ languages against South Sudan friends

JUBA – South Sudan’s prominent activist Edmund Yakani has condemned what he calls ‘use of bizarre and aggressive’ language against South Sudan’s powerful friends such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway.

This comes a day after information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth claimed in statements to journalists on Wednesday that American journalist Christopher Allen who was killed while reporting war between government and rebel forces in 2017 is a “white rebel”.

The controversial South Sudan minister also attacked the UN independent Miraya FM in his statements claiming that the influential radio station is “disseminating hate and dividing people” of the world’s youngest country.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post this evening, Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) condemned the use of bizarre and aggressive language against friends of South Sudan and said the comments against Miraya FM are illogical.

“CEPO is urging our leaders with due respect and honor to abolish violent and disturbing statements that demonstrates aggression, recklessness and bullying against the diplomatic friends of South Sudan,” Yakani said in the statement.

“The recent statements attributed to our government spokesman about the UN-funded Radio Miraya and American journalist Christopher Allen’s death is not an impressive language and therefore is an unacceptable sentiment in relation to diplomacy and foreign relations between our country and the world,” he said.

Yakani described Miraya FM as “as a radio station with ethics and professional journalists” and further said the language used against the UN radio and the American journalists are both “demonstration of aggression.”

The prominent activist further said that the use of reckless language “by some of our political leaders is destructive to our diplomatic relations with others specially our dear friends in America and Europe and does not improve the image of our leadership which has been destroyed by war.”

“Finally, CEPO condemns the demonstrated attitudes and high sense of aggression and urges our leaders to act responsibly in handling political differences.”