The former secretary-general of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) says that he is hopeful that peace in South Sudan can be achieved through dialogue and that the divided nation can be reconciled and healed.

He was speaking just days after his release from prison. Amum is one of four South Sudanese political figures released last week after spending four months in jail, accused of plotting to oust President Salva Kiir.

“Having been released, we have no bitterness, but we are full of hope and love and forgiveness and we want to engage with these brothers to end this war and resolve the problems of our country through dialogue,” he said.

In an interview with Voice of America, the politician emphasized, “Our priority is to end this war and to bring about peace so that we can have a conduce environment to have a national dialogue.”

The politician said that he looks forward to meeting the South Sudanese president and also he hopes to be allowed to travel freely “to go and engage also with Dr. Riek Machar.”

He says his aim is to persuade both leaders to stop the war.

Amum confirmed, however, that two of the politicians who were released alongside him were blocked from traveling. Former ambassador Ezekiel Lol and former army chief of staff Oyai Deng were on their way to Kenya last Friday when their passports were seized at Juba Airport.

“We are not as of now free to travel, though we have been freed by the court. But these are some of the challenges including the restrictions of our freedoms and violations of our constitutional rights. But these are challenges that the whole nation is gripped with and we will be dealing with that,” explained Pagan Amum.  

He described the war as a “fratricide, a war of brothers killing brothers. It is unacceptable. We want to end this war.”

"People are dying and innocent people are suffering," Amum said. “Later on, we will investigate and bring out the truth. But this is not the time to judge. It's a time to stop the bleeding."

Click here to listen to Pagan Amum's full interview with John Tanza of the Voice of America.

Photo: Pagan Amum (Wikipedia/Chatham House)