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4 August 2024 (Juba) – South Sudan’s Minister of Presidential Affairs Joseph Benghazi Bakosoro has warned against forced changes of power as it could lead to anarchy if such transitions are not well planned and managed.
He made the remarks through Terab TV at an event to commemorate the Martyrs’ Day held on July 30, 2024 in the capital Juba.
Several speakers, including former deputy speaker of Sudan’s national legislature Atem Garang de Kuek and former oil minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, spoke at the event. Others who spoke on Martyrs’ Day included former ruling party (SPLM) members Chier Chuang Aluong, Pieng Deng Kuol, Achuil Malith Banggol, and officials from the country’s defense, security and police departments.
Bakosoro said violent leadership seizures destroyed the legacy of previous leaders, citing the 2019 protests that led to the overthrow of former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir.
“It’s not easy to build a country, and even if you sit on that chair, your chair can be the worst. We can only complain, but we don’t want to be like the Sultan. When you go after leaders with force, the same curse will befall you. Believe me, I come from a different ethnic background,” he explained.
The Minister deeply regretted the treatment meted out to the wounded heroes, heroines and veterans despite their immense contribution to the establishment of South Sudan.
“For me, it is a shame. Those who were there, it is a shame for us. In our culture and tradition, those who allowed you to live freely in your land will not forget. Do not forget. It is persuasion. If God does not convince you, convince yourself because it is wisdom. They are all wise people, all of you who are here are wise people. You have wisdom. You made us what we are today,” he said.
Bakosoro said South Sudan’s leaders had abandoned the vision and aspirations that led to the 1955 and 1983 civil wars, which ended with the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement and the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), respectively.
He warned against forced transfer of power, citing the situations in Iraq, Libya and Somalia as examples.
South Sudan is currently facing an economic crisis exacerbated by conflict in Sudan, from which the country exports its oil. The landlocked country, surrounded by hostile countries or those interested in exploiting its resources and manipulating its leaders to plunder them, has been politically stable since 2013.
Consumer prices have doubled in recent months, contributing to rising crime in a country that is heavily militarized and easily divided along regional and ethnic lines. Civil servants have not been paid for more than nine months, raising concerns that this could spark nationwide protests and undermine security.
(English stone)
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