Central Equatoria condemns calls for popular uprising against Kiir

JUBA – The governor of South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state Emmanuel Adil Anthony has issued a statement condemning what he calls propaganda on social media by the People’s Coalition for Civil Action in which the newly created group is calling for a popular uprising against the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

This comes a day after the civil rights group wrote to the minister of interior calling for protection of protesters who are expected to take to the streets of Juba on August 30 to call for end to the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

In a statement following a meeting with heads of the state unions, chamber of commerce, workers trade union, women, youth and boda-boda association, the governor’s office condemned the calls for popular uprising and said the unions are not parts of the planned protests.

“Today Wednesday, 18 August, H.E Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony convened an emergency meeting with all heads of the state Unions ranging from Chamber of Commerce, Workers Trade, Women, Youths and Boda-Boda to categorically brainstorm on the uninformed position taken by the so-called ‘People’s Coalition for Civil Action-South Sudan’ to stage demonstrations against the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement,” the statement said.

The statement “Strongly condemns the ongoing propaganda being peddled through the social media platforms as being instigated by the so-called ‘People’s Coalition for Civil Action-South Sudan’ against the Revitalized Government of National Unity and it’s key signatories,” it adds.

The statement reiterated its “full support for peace through the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement both in letter and spirit and de-associate themselves (unions) as Central Equatoria State Unions in their respective dockets from this counterproductive move initiated by some anti-peace elements in fulfillment of their self-centered agenda that doesn’t necessarily reflects or represent the majority citizens of Central Equatoria State in particular, and South Sudan at large.”