Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A prominent South Sudanese activist on Wednesday called on the government to release First Vice President and leader of the main opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition (SPLM-IO), Dr. Riek Machar, and other political detainees in the spirit of the 14th Independence Day celebration.
The country’s First Vice President and opposition leader, Dr. Riek Machar, was placed under house arrest in March amid escalating political tensions that followed conflict in Nasir, Upper Nile State.
Amidst several calls for his release, the South Sudan government insisted that Dr. Machar was in conflict with the law and is still under investigation.
Bol Deng Bol, executive director of Jonglei-based civil society organization, INTREPID South Sudan, emphasized the need to release Dr. Machar and political detainees as part of honoring the Independence Day celebration.
“The right thing to do today for the Office of the President is to address the lingering political detentions and overcome the backbreaking lack of political will hindering the peace agreement’s progress,” Deng said in a statement seen by Sudan Post on Wednesday.
Deng said although the raising of the flag, a primary goal for the nation’s liberators, has been achieved, the true meaning of independence remains elusive.
“Otherwise, like other South Sudanese, I am only jubilant today at the 14th commemoration of our motherland’s independence because our fathers and forefathers didn’t sacrifice their all in vain. Period,” he said.
He stressed that the flag “shouldn’t be turned into a curse” and implored the nation’s leadership to treat South Sudan, their “only country,” with the respect it deserves.
“Underscored core values he believes are essential for the nation’s future: freedom, human rights, tolerance, love, and hard work, all under the guiding principle of.
Many citizens and observers believe that these steps are crucial for fostering national unity, reconciliation, and sustainable peace, allowing the nation to truly realize the aspirations of its founding fathers and mothers.
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