South Sudan civil society group meeting with U.S official to discuss the role of Rights Groups in conflict resolution in South Sudan (Photo: supplied/Nyamilepedia)
December 15th, 2013 (Nyamilepedia) -South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy is commemorating the 15th of December which marks the 5th years of South Sudan civil war that saw more than 20,000 innocents Nuer civilians slaughtered indiscriminately in December 2013.
In a commemoration letter extended to Nyamilepedia this week, the organization’s director, Biel Boutros Biel calls upon the people of South Sudan to unites and overcomes the ethnic divide facing the country. Acknowledging that the incident is not an isolated one and the scale of killing extended to others tribes of South Sudan, the organization condemn in the strongest term possible and urged the South Sudanese people to learn from the history as they go through this memorial day.
“15 December 2018 marks the 5th year when the reduced ongoing civil war started in South Sudan’s capital Juba. Between 15 to 31 of December 2013, civilians from ethnic Nuer were killed by the government forces in Juba. Similar revenge and counter-revenge killings were carried out by the warring parties in Bentiu, Akobo, Malakal, and Bor. In the shortest time, South Sudan went into flames. The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy(SSHURSA) condemns the 15 December as one of the darkest days in the history of South Sudan, a country whose independence was brought through the bullet, blood, and ballot.”
SSHURSA earnestly calls on all South Sudanese that instead of using “15 December recall bitter memories” that rekindle emotions; “it should be a day when South Sudanese should unite to resolve that, a day like 15 December 2013 must never happen again in South Sudan to any community or individual.”
“South Sudanese nationalities should make the day a moment of national reconciliation and forgiveness.” Mr. Butrus urged the general public of the South Sudanese people.
SSHURSA sends condolences to survivors and victims’ families on this day of darkness, a day that started the destruction of independent South Sudan.It must be a day where leaders reflect on their lives and legacies, whether a legacy of blood or that of saving lives. It must be a day where each leader and every South Sudanese reflects that he or she must never act again cause orphans, widows, widowers, displacements, destruction of lives and property.
The organization asked the leaders of South Sudan to implement the September peace agreement in spirit and letter.
“The only way to cement national reconciliation, unity, and healing, is for the political and military elites to do acts that show they have repented from the acts and hateful attitudes that caused the current violence. The leaders can show so by committing fully to the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement to Resolve Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan(R-ARCSS) which they signed on 12 September 2018. The Agreement must be implemented fully as the only viable option to cause needed institutional reforms in order to have a state whose apparatus respects the dignity of every person or community that lives in South Sudan. “
SSHURSA is non-governmental and non-profit making human rights organization, founded on 5 June 2007, by South Sudanese lawyers and Law Students at Law Development Centre (LDC), Makerere, Kampala, Uganda. In South Sudan, its operations started since 2008, with its headquarters in capital Juba and field offices in other states of South Sudan. Represented by its executive director, SSHURSA participated in 2017-2018 South Sudan’s peace High-Level Revitalisation Forum(HLRF) mediated by Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD) which resulted into the signing of R-ARCSS.
For more information about this press release, contact Biel Boutros Biel, SSHURSA Executive Director, cell: +211922355200 or +2499 E-mail: bielbb2015@gmail.com/sshursa2007@gmail.com; www.sshursa1.org
