By Moses Okwera
Some citizens at the border town of Nimule of Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria are calling on the government in South Sudan to repatriate its citizens from various camps and conduct a population census before the 2024 general elections.
South Sudan parties agreed to go for elections which is now scheduled to take place in December 2024.
As South Sudan election is set for December 2024, the community of Nimule Payam Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria State is calling on the government to repatriate its citizens from various camps and conduct a population census before the general election
Musa Simon Mawic a citizen in Nimule town says repatriation of the citizens and conducting of population census with full implementation of the security arrangement will pave the way for a successful election
“For the election to be successful, first of all there should be repatriation of refugees, a quarter of the population of South Sudan are in exile, they need to be brought back and they go to their constituencies then after repatriation, there should be census, there are many people who died during the war and others were born, then there should be full implementation of the security arrangement, all these security forces when graduated, they should be deployed so that we don’t have issue of insecurity during the election”
Another concerned citizen Absalon Tombe Yasa said the security arrangement will provide safety for both voters and the candidates contesting for elections.
He further urges the government to extend another transitional period to realize a credible and democratic election
“All the necessary unified forces should be graduated and deployed to provide safety for those who are campaigning and even those who are coming to vote. December is not far so to have credible and democratic election, let that period be extended, if it cannot be extended, let voters registration start immediately with the civic education so that the community know”
On the other hand, Bishop Martine Abuni Emilio the chairperson for the Inter-Church Committee in Nimule prays for elections to take place to relieve the suffering population
He calls on church leaders to support the government during the election through prayers
“We pray for the election to take place because if election is not done, we will remain suffering like this. You people, you are representing God, Priests lets support the government they will take your advice. Now the government need support like now there is need for repatriation but if there is no budget for repatriation let the election go on and after the election the people will be repatriated these are things we should support but some people don’t want the election to take place that is why the leaders are not sleeping. So our prayer is that the election should take place, people should be trained for the election to take place to relive the government and youths to take leadership”
Whereas Geoffrey Amata, a chief in Nimule town called on the citizens in camps to come back home to participate in the upcoming election
He believes after the election the country will become stable because of the new leadership in the government
“Everyone out there should come back home to wait for election, we the chiefs we have talked a lot for people to come back for the election to take place and we hope for the election to take place in December because if the election is conducted, the government will be stable now here we the chiefs we are not sleeping due to insecurity even when you go to the market problems so if the election take place will adjust things, every old things will go and new one will take places with new law”
The speakers made the remarks during a training workshop on the electoral process and management in Nimule conducted by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Torit with funding in partnership with the Interchurch interfaith Committee and Radio Emmanuel with support from PAX