Hundreds of people today took to the streets of Juba to demonstrate their support for the government’s plan to halt oil production until the government in Khartoum agrees with Juba on fair terms of sharing oil revenue.
The procession comes days after the government in Juba, through its Council of Ministers, ordered foreign oil partners to prepare for an oil shutdown.The demonstration started this morning at Juba University through the police headquarters, to the ministries and finally to the National Legislative Assembly.
Thousands of students, youths and adults shouted slogans like Down down to Khartoum government for looting our oil, Looting our oil is a crime while others shouted praises to South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his cabinet for what they described as a brave decision.
The procession was organised by members of the civil society and the SPLM women’s wing.
Ajang Ajang Lino, president of the students’ union at the University of Juba, argued that his country survived during the pre-peace days without oil revenue and that it will still devise better means of survival.
The procession brought Juba’s traffic to a standstill as more people joined the peaceful protesters.
Aligo Wani, a member of the Coalition of Civil Society of South Sudan, said the procession sent a message to the Khartoum government led by President Omar Bashir that South Sudanese support their president’s resolution.
The five minute walk from the University to the National assembly took the protestors almost half an.
While at the assembly, the Central Equatoria government and Juba University Students Union presented their positions to President Kiir that they supportedf halting South Sudan’s oil from going through Sudan.
President Salva Kiir also addressed the peaceful protestors after his speech to MPs.