Kiir asked to address 7 key national issues in his Independence Day speech

JUBA – South Sudan civil society organization, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has asked President Salva Kiir Mayardit to address at least seven key national issues in his address marking 11^th independence anniversary next week.

South Sudan will on 9^th July mark eleven years since it gained independence from neighboring Sudan after more than two decades of war between Southern Sudanese separatist movements against the Muslim-controlled Khartoum successive regimes.

In statements to the media following a weekly cabinet meeting in Juba on Friday, information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said that there would be no independence celebrations due to lack of funds, but President Kiir would make a national address on the eve of independence anniversary.

“At present, we have no funds and even if we have the little funds, we have to make use of them for the graduation of the forces that have been in training centers for that long,” Makuei told reporters told reporters Friday.

“At present, there are so many so many issues at hand that we need to address, and making that big public celebration means making a lot of expenses,” Makuei added.

In a statement, CEPO which congratulated the people of South Sudan on the 11th independence anniversary asked President Kiir to address seven key national issues threatening the implementation process of the revitalized peace agreement.

“Community Empowerment for Progress Organization wishes every South Sudan happy independence days on the 9th July, 2022. CEPO hope that without public celebration still His Excellency President will have the 11th Independence Day Anniversary National Address,” the CEPO said.

“Based on this thinking, CEPO with due respect and honor takes this opportunity to raise some essential Seven 7-point ASK for H.E the President to response during the presidential national address for the 11th Independence Anniversary address or speech,” the CEPO said.

One of the issues that the president is asked by the CEPO to address is “The fate of R-ARCSS implementation and especially tasks under chapter 2 on Transitional security arrangements and the pathways from 22nd Februarys 2023.”

The second issue being referred to the president is the controversy between the parties to the revitalized peace agreement disagreement on as to if the general elections provided for in the revitalized peace agreement would be conducted in 2023.

The CEPO said that the president needs to come out publicly to address this issue “since the factors that define conducive environment for peaceful and non-violent elections is limited” with “No clear legal framework for the elections in line with the provisions of R-ARCSS, too short calendar for public engagement on electoral processes; communities are seriously divided and engaged in deadly violence; rule of law is weak; security sector for protection of electoral process is unified; delay in reconstituting the National Political Parties Council and the National Elections Commission, how the country move to elections besides these serious challenges.”

The statement by the CEPO also added that “The performance of the National Legislative Assembly in enacting laws such as Constitutional Making Bill, 2022, amendment of Political Parties Act and other legislations.”

It also pointed out that “Government capacities and capabilities in preventing recent raising deadly communal violence across the country” and “government commitment on ensuring timely response to concerns of Refugee and IDPs return and their participation in public affairs such as elections, constitution making and transitional justice.”

It stressed that “Absence of presidency meeting as a national platform with primary responsibility to help in driving the genuine implementation of the R-ARCSS and continuation of the Rome Peace Talks” and also for the president to address the issue “of national revenue collection and administration between the national and state government for better service delivery to the citizens.”

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO, said that despite the respect for the ceasefire agreement in most parts of the country, disagreements between the parties over selective implementation of the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement have continued.

“Some progresses were witnessed in the R-ARCSS implementation such as respect of the permanent ceasefire but the serious disagreements on the implementation of some R-ARCSS provisions are observed. The disagreements sound sharper than the progress registered. This 11th Independence Day Anniversary President’s address to the nation, with respect and honor we expect our President to response to some of the concerns raised,” Yakani said.

“This 11th Independence Day Anniversary is critical to tell the nation the possible pathway of existing from the 22nd February, 2023 which is the deadline for the end of the lifespan of R-ARCSS. The citizens need information on possible pathways of transitioning the country from violence to peace since the parties are demonstrating deficit in trust and confidence for genuine implementation of the R-ARCSS,” he added.