August 1, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s prominent opposition and National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, has urged the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit to provide education to the children of those killed during South Sudan’s war of independence.
Akol who is also the Secretary-General of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) made the call in a statement marking the country’s martyrs’ day commending Dr. John Garang de’Mabior for his struggle for the good of the people of South Sudan.
“We owe the families of our martyrs not only sympathies but a debt of gratitude and appreciation. Let this debt not be just words said on occasions such as this but must be translated into action,” Dr. Lam wrote in the statement extended to Nyamilepedia.
“Like other countries of similar struggles the state must undertake the upkeep of the widows and educate the children of the Martyrs to at least the Secondary, if not the tertiary level,” he said.
He further decried the poverty in the country saying “our people are hard-working and our land has been endowed with enormous human and natural resources. Yet our people continue to wallow in poverty while a new class of mega rich has emerged in the last 15 years.”
Peace must be implemented
The opposition leader who is also a signatory to the revitalized peace agreement also urged other signatories to the revitalized peace agreement to implement the deal as signed in September 2018 saying it was reached through a compromise.
“We have a peace agreement on the table. I reiterate again that it was reached through compromises by all and hence it is a minimum common programme for running the country through the next three years,” he said.
“We must implement it in letter and in good faith. The last few months have shown sluggishness in doing so and attempts to renegotiate the Agreement and excluding important actors from participation in the implementation process,” he added.
