![Activist Edmund Yakani speaks during the ceremony to extend the transitional period for 24 months on August 5, 2022. [Photo by presidency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/296167924_1115103562451035_6690879285386675132_n.jpg?quality=89&ssl=1)
In April, Yakani made an appeal to the parties to name a female spokesperson for army after the formation of the unified army command by President Salva Kiir, saying failure by the parties to nominate women into the unified security command structures is a violation of the revitalized peace agreement.
This morning, senior army officers from the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) told Sudans Post that the ministry of defense has directed the leadership of the army command to effect ‘South Sudan Victory’ as the new army slogan.
The new slogan will replace the ‘Oyee’ of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, ‘Viva’ of the SPLA-IO, and ‘Take a Boom’ of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).
In a pre-recorded statement this morning, Yakani who is also the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), welcome the decision by the ministry of defense and said he has been informed by his own sources of the changes.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the leadership of the unified command in security and defense sector for responding positively to our advocacy that we made during the graduation of the first batch of the unified forces. The advocacy we made was an appeal to our unified forces, that from today on after their graduation, they don’t belong to ‘SPLA Oyee’ or ‘SPLA-IO Viva’ or SSOA Take a Boom’. These slogans, they don’t belong to it,” Yakani said in the recorded statement.
“They must respect the nation and they must respect the constitution because those slogans are partisan and we are informed by reliable sources that the leadership of the unified command and security and defense sector has taken directives of introducing a new slogan for the unified forces and the new slogan is all the unified forces, at their various sectors whenever they want to raise a slogan. The slogan is ‘South Sudan, victory, South Sudan, victory, South Sudan, victory’. We are so happy that the leadership of the unified command in defense and security sector has responded possibly to our advocacy,” Yakani added.
The prominent activist further appealed to the leadership of the army to appoint a female spokesperson for the unified national army as provided for in the revitalized peace agreement that women shall be accorded 35% of positions in all sectors.
“Now we have a unified slogan for the unified forces with the unified command structure, we want to take this opportunity to appeal to the members of the presidency in particular, his excellence president, his excellence first vice president and other excellences, other vice presidents. We are raising an appeal that during the unification of the command structure, 35% for women was not seriously observed,” he said.
“Now we are demanding compensation. We need to be compensated for that violation and our compensation we are appealing that since we have a unified command structure, we have unified forces with a unified slogan. We need a unified spokesperson for the unified forces,” Yakani further said.
He said that “the spokesperson for the unified forces should go to a female candidate. We are convinced that we have competent women in uniform, in all the sectors that can play a very instrumental and effective role for being a spokesperson for the unified forces, because we believe when a woman speaks peace is closed because we are disturbed for the past months.
“We have seen contradictory statements from them, the spokesperson of the forces before the unification of the forces, since we have the first bench of a unified force, we now need to see a unified spokesperson for the unified forces. And this should be a female candidate, not a male.”
