A top opposition leader serving in Kiir’s unity government in Juba has raised concerns about the increasing use of hate speech in South Sudan, even by officials whom he didn’t name.
This comes after a group calling itself the Greater Bahr el Ghazal Youths called for evacuation of Equatorians from their areas, causing ethnic tensions linked to politics in the world’s youngest nation.
Kornelio Kon Ngu, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, told Radio Tamazuj that the ongoing ethnic hate speech across the country is worrying, saying his group will engage with other political parties, civil society organizations and faith-based groups in an attempt to stop hate speech.
“The country is now in a critical juncture, the opportunists and weak politicians are working to encourage tribalism, because they benefiting from it, but we will work to solve the problem,” said Kornelio.
“We have our own plans in Bahr al Ghazal in particular, we want to stop ethnic hate speech through political parties, civil society and religious groups,” he said.
Kornelio, who is also leader of South Sudan’s national alliance of opposition parties, pointed out that some political leaders are currently using their ethnicities to achieve their own political ambitions, while calling on the people of South Sudan not to allow such leaders to divide them.
Anti-racism demonstration
Separately, hundreds of primary and secondary students, government employees and local youths in Wau town organized a peaceful demonstration condemning a statement issued by an unidentified group calling for the evacuation of Equatorians from the area.
Addressing the demonstrators, Pasquale Joseph, Deputy Governor of Wau State, reassured the Equatorians who are living in Wau town about their safety, urging them to go about their normal businesses in the state.
The government official asked the group that encourages racism in Wau to apologize within 72 hours, saying the government will be forced to apply what he termed as “jungle laws” to anyone found dividing the people of South Sudan in the state.