John Akoon
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Two national cabinet ministers differed openly after they took to the podium to address the third South Sudan National Youth Convention on Friday, with the confusion that marred the event on Wednesday being the subject of discussion.
The Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon, and her counterpart from the Presidential Affairs, Joseph Bakasoro, attended the convention in Juba, where their differences were laid bare on the way youth affairs are conducted.
In her address, Napwon said the event which was aborted due to perceived interference by some security elements, was in bad faith, and that the youth must be accorded space to take charge of their destiny.
“I prepared to come to an event on Wednesday but what happened was unfortunate, as leaders, we need to apologise. Because it was not good for us to do that to the young people of South Sudan,” she said, although she did not mention any government official who had a hand in the interference.
“I am also speaking as a youth. For us to build this country, we need to give the youth freedom to elect their own leaders without any interference from any organ of the government,” she added.
The minister stressed that the government must guide the youth and provide security for such functions.
“If we don’t give them that freedom, then we are heading to nowhere in this country. We need to practice democracy by giving them space to do what is good for them. As long as it doesn’t threaten the security of the country,” she added.
But the sentiments seemed not have augured well with Mr Bakasoro, who said that some of the leaders condemning the perceived politicisation of the union affairs were the same people interfering with the affairs of the youth.
“I heard the statement from several of us here when they said don’t politicize the youth union and all of you clapped,” he told the delegates.
“I was wondering why you are clapping when we are supposed to open the convention on Wednesday, and now it is on Friday because some of you politicise the youth union.”
“You are here. You know yourself. When you are saying don’t politicize the youth union. You said yes, it is true. But you are one of the men, the ladies who are politicising the youth union. Some of you have done it. That is politicizing. The youth should not take sides,” he added.
The Third South Sudan National Youth convention was slated to take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, but it was interrupted after an unnamed group allegedly tried to hijack and cause chaos at the venue of the National Youth convention.
To quell the situation, the government deployed heavy security at the Freedom Hall on Wednesday restricting the entry of the delegates and journalists.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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