SSHURSA Commemorates ISAIAH ABRAHAM 4th Anniversary, calls for respect for right to life, freedom of speech and expression in South Sudan

By Biel Boutros Biel,

Dec 05, 2016(Nyamilepedia) ——- Today 5^th December 2016 marks the 4^th Anniversary when Isaiah Diing Abraham Chan Awuol(Isaiah Abraham) was assasinated in South Sudan’s capital Juba. He was killed in his house at Gudele in the morning of 5^th December 2012. The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy(SSHURSA) today commemorates the 4^th year of Abraham’s painful departure. SSHURSA regards him as the first victim in fight for a free South Sudanese society. He remains a hero whose blood continues to remind us that there is no free freedom. He died with deep love for his country.

Abraham was killed because he stood up for the silent majority of South Sudanese whose rights to food, water, security, free participation in the affairs of their country, freedom of speech, press and expression, life, equality before the law among others, were being tramped upon by the South Sudanese authorities since 2005 and throughout after the Independence on 9^th July 2011 to date.

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Ironically, Abraham fought for the liberation of South Sudan from injustices of successive Sudanese Arab regimes BUT he died unfortunately in capital city-Juba, which has been under the protection of his own fellow South Sudanese leaders.

SSHURSA and its staff continue to remember Abraham because he remains a hero in protection of human rights and civil liberties. He stood up and had spoken out for those who could not speak for themselves. His calls for a democratic, peaceful, equal and justice-oriented South Sudanese state caused him his life and deprived his family and the nation of potential leader of his calbre.

Abraham’s numerous writings which warned South Sudanese governmental authorities of the dangers of disrespecting rule of law and human rights, were never listened to. All what he warned South Sudanese against, threw the young country into bloody civil wars in 2013, a year after his assassination.

Over the last four years, SSHURSA contnues to ask these questions about Abraham’s demise:

1. Who assassinated him?
2. Who sent them to kill him?
3. Where are his assassins?
4. When is justice going to be done?

Despite sanctimonious proclamations made by the Government of South Sudan on 4^th January 2013, that the suspects of Abraham’s assassination were apprehended by the government, yet four years have passed on, without justice being done. Neither identities of the proclaimed suspects have been shown nor anyone has been tried for Abraham’s assassinaton. South Sudan government has failed to provide any single response to the above questions. Such a conduct of the state digs deep negatively to its innocence over Abraham’s assassination. SSHURSA continues to asserts that the state through its agents, remains responsible or at least should have known who assassinated Abraham.

Since Abraham’s assassination, freedom of press, speech and expression and the right to life as well as other civil liberties, have diminished in South Sudan. Many journalists and outspoken individuals have been always arbitrarily arrested and detained. A number of them and other citizens have dispeared, killed, while others have opted for exile to save their lives.

As SSHURSA remembers Abraham’s painful demise, it equally commemorates the heroic work and courage of the following journalists and other South Sudanese who have been assassinated, while others having been disappeared:

1. John Gatluak Manguet: July 2016(Journalist who was killed in Juba).
2. Julius Peter Moi: August 2015(Journalist who was shot dead in Juba).
3. Clement Lochio: August 2015(Journalist who was disappeared in Eastern Equatoria).
4. Banyjioth Mathot: March 2013(youth member who was found dead beneath the fence of the home of former South Sudanese Deputy Minister of Interior).
5. Modessa Wiyual: December 2012(Civil Society youth Leader who disappeared in Juba).
6. Engineer John Louis: March 2011(He disappeared in Juba).

Like Abraham’s assassination, no one has been held accountable in all the above and other several cases not mentioned. Since 2005, South Sudanese lives continue to be in danger. By 15 December 2013, many lives were lost in capital Juba. That marks the start of civil war which continues to rage all over South Sudan today. SSHURSA condemns such violation of the right to life. South Sudanese people, since the year 1955, through 1983 to 2005, fought wars of liberation against North Sudanese. The struggle was to secure a free, democratic society and a state that respects the rights of its citizens. Citizens’ expectations have been failed and those who dared to speak out against injustices meted on ordinary South Sudanese have instead, paid the ultimate price with their own lives. SSHURSA continues to remember Isaiah Abraham as one of the bravest sons of South Sudan who stood up and spoke out against the violations of human rights and civil liberties.

APPEALS:

• TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH SUDAN AND AUTHORITIES:
• bring perpetrators to justice. This will prove the innocence of the state and its gents in the series of assassinations and disappearances in South Sudan.
• respect human rights and civil liberties of every person in South Sudan and beyond.
• use peaceful means like inclusive dialogues to bring peace that honours the sacrifices made by fallen and living South Sudanese people to attain an independent South Sudanese State.
• refrain from inciting violence through statements with consequence which endanger the lives of ordinary people.

• TO THE JOURNALISTS, WRITERS, CIVIL SOCIERY LEADERS AND THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT FOR OTHERS:
• continue standing up and speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves whose rights continue to be violated.
• document all violations and use legal means to push for justice to hold perpetrators accountable.

• TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL BODIES:
• support South Sudanese journalists, writers, human rights defenders and others who continue to speak out for those whose rights are being violated and have no any opportunity to speak up for themselves.
• be consistent in exerting efforts to bring lasting peace that will ensure a state that respects human rights especially the right to life and other civil liberties in South Sudan.

• TO THE FAMILIES OF THE DISAPPEARED AND ASSASSINATED PERSONS:
• SSHURSA sends condolences to you and stands with you in these bitter memories.
• urges you to continue focused in pushing for justice for your loved ones no matter the time it takes.

Losing one life is a blow to all persons who have humanity at heart and regrettable loss to South Sudan especially such a young man like Isaiah Abraham and others who stood up and spoke out against evils which were corrected, would not have thrown South Sudan into the continued civil war. SSHURSA condemns the ongoing displacements and violence against civilians in South Sudan. It urges the warring parties to refrain from use of violence and instead exert efforts to come to the roundtable for peaceful resolution of conflict which will honour the blood of those who love South Sudan such as Isaiah Abraham.

Signed:

Biel Boutros Biel

Executive Director

For more information on this statement or about SSHURSA, contact us through: E-mail: sshursa2007@gmail.com/info@sshursa.org. Tel: +211 955 912 237. South Sudan.

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