Festive Season Plea for Peace
As Christmas lights flicker across Juba, civil society leader Edmond Yakani has urged President Salva Kiir to mark the holidays with an immediate nationwide ceasefire (Eye Radio, Juba).
He says a seasonal truce would signal genuine commitment to reconciliation and allow families to celebrate without fear.
Call for Release of High-profile Detainees
Yakani, who heads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, also appealed for the release of prominent political detainees, including former vice-president Dr Benjamin Bol Mel and ex-security chief General Akol Koor Kuc.
He argued that such gestures would restore public confidence and echo similar calls from South Sudan’s religious leaders.
Concerns over Revitalized Agreement Changes
Beyond the festive plea, Yakani warned against unilateral amendments to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and to the draft constitution, insisting that all signatories and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission must endorse any changes.
He cautioned that bypassing consensus might deepen mistrust within parties to the accord.
Hurdles on the Road to 2026 Elections
The activist listed insecurity, scarce funding for electoral bodies and a restrictive political climate as major obstacles to credible polls scheduled for December 2026.
He noted that resolving these issues requires collaborative planning rather than hurried timelines.
Inclusive Dialogue as the Way Forward
Yakani concluded that only an inclusive political dialogue, supported by goodwill gestures like prisoner releases and a ceasefire, can pave a sustainable path toward stability and an orderly democratic transition.