A stakeholders engagement forum held in Eastern Equatoria State this week concluded Wednesday with calls for political parties in the revitalized peace agreement to jointly implement the deal and deliver services to the people.
The three-day forum dubbed “Working together and consolidating peace through political engagement and good governance” was organized by UNMISS and brought together state ministers, advisors, county commissioners, heads of independent commissions, organize forces, religious leaders, and civil society organizations in Eastern Equatoria State.
Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said implementation of the peace agreement remains the central priority of the state government.
"For us, the signatories to the peace agreement and South Sudanese at large, the implementation of the agreement is our only way forward, we don’t have any other alternative,” He said.
He urged the stakeholders to collectively work to ensure that challenges facing the peace implementation are resolved.
“It is our collective responsibility to take upon ourselves all the challenges facing us in the implementation of peace, including economic hardships, insecurity, and the delay in the implementation of the security arrangements. We are one government, if there is a delay in the security implementation or security arrangements, nobody should be pointing a finger at another. If there are economic challenges in the country, it is us that is why it is a collective responsibility," Lobong said.
He adds, "Now we are together, let us plan how to improve the economy, how to improve the security, how to implement the security arrangement together. The necessary unified forces are not yet graduated; it is also our collective responsibility."
Lobong tasked all parties in the government to protect the peace agreement against spoilers and assured that the state government will restore security in the state.
“My message to all the parties to the peace agreement is that let us rise to the challenge of restoring total tranquility in our state. First, we are sons and daughters of Eastern Equatoria State, and this will remain our home whether we like it or not. We should make it a better place for all of us to live in. Let us work as a team to build a peaceful, harmonious, and democratic Eastern Equatoria,” Governor Lobong urged.
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Mary Nadio Alphonse from the SPLM-IO stressed the importance of having different political parties working together for peace and development.
"After the signing of R-ARCSS, the country has been blessed with many political parties. These parties should not be a curse, it is a celebration of having diverse views and diverse views can inform all of us," she advised.
For her part, UNMISS Head of Field Office in Torit, Waudo Caroline encouraged the political parties to work together for the smooth delivery of services to the citizens.
"It is very important as leaders to understand one another, to respect each other, respect each other’s ideas even if you belong to a different political party or hold a different opinion. I call on you as leaders to handle criticisms constructively in a mature way and work for peace, unity, development of every citizen of Eastern Equatoria,” said Waudo.
She also called on the leaders to take criticisms positively regardless of political affiliations.