South Sudan’s Ana Taban campaign championed by activists and artists announced a plan to expand its program to include the conflict-displaced people who are currently sheltering inside the UN sites and refugees camps in neighbouring countries.

The campaign, which was launched in the capital Juba in early September last year, promotes peace and denounces the violence that has displaced millions of people both inside and out of the country.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, yesterday Manasseh Mathiang, coordinator of the initiative, said that the plan to expand the initiative aimed at forcing the current government and armed opposition groups to make peace in South Sudan.

Mathiang further said the group wants to launch its program to silence guns in South Sudan in the New Year, noting that the upcoming campaign will include all the people of South Sudan.

“We want peace in 2017, and we want the guns to be silenced in 2017. The warring parties should look for peace, they should come together, we want all South Sudanese to be involved in dialogue,” said Mathiang.

He stressed that the people of South Sudan are tired of the ongoing civil war and that they want peace as soon as possible.

Mathiang called on President Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to make peace this year. When asked about the national dialogue called for by Kiir, he said that the initiative is good, but it should include all stakeholders including the SPLM-IO faction led by former vice president Riek Machar.

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