Activists are requesting the relieved governors of the former thirty-two states to adhere to and compromise with President Kiir’s move to ten states plus Abyei Administrative Area.
Speaking to CRN the activists say it is all about serving citizens, not individual interest.
One of the activists, Executive Director Rajab Mohandis says the country cannot hold peace hostage because of political positions.
‘We cannot hold peace hostage because of political positions; we have millions of South Sudanese who have lost their homes and cannot be able to go back; they are living in refugee camp, around the country, others have lost the opportunity to have food; so peace is more important than political positions of few politicians; whatever it takes to bring peace in the country, should be accepted by all South Sudanese’
Rajab adds that ‘In this peace process, we cannot get a hundred percent of what we want as individuals and politicians, but what happens for all South Sudanese is that, we should compromise and have peace’.
Executive Director of FODAG Jame David Kolok calls on the relieved leaders to consider moving to ten states as ‘starting of conversation’.
‘We should not take this country hostage because of thirty two governors looking for jobs. This country is not about thirty two governors; this country is about millions of suffering South Sudanese who are out there to see that they need stability to look for whatever survival they need; I think they need to take accept this position that has been done by the President’.
They need to acknowledge that what they see is a true compromise with any political connotation that will be able to move this process forward and believe strongly that moving to the ten states is the basis to start that conversation.
CEPO Executive Director, Edmond Yakani discourages use of violence to remain in power.
‘Unless you are a politician who uses violence as a way of remaining in power and that is at the expense of citizens; but if you are a politician who value peace and stability of the citizens as the top priority, then there is no need to open any window or opportunity that take us back to violence or creating instability; so the politicians should accept the decision of the President unless they don’t adhere to President as the Chairperson of their party’.
‘Now we have our soldiers working with slippers, without salary, teachers working without salary, medical officials working without salary and children dying in hospitals with lack of services because we have too much size of the government; to reduce the government, some money will go to restore some of the needs of our citizens being it soldiers who are protecting us, teachers, being it health workers and infrastructure in the country; so enjoying positions on the expends of citizens’ suffering is really a mockery not political’, Yakani stresses.
The activists call on the leaders to move forward with other necessary arrangements and form transitional government.