Juba gathering spotlights new envoy
At a vibrant thanksgiving hosted by Greater Bahr el Ghazal Women Leadership at Juba’s Radisson Blu on 13 September, Lakes State Governor Lieutenant-General Rin Tueny Mabor publicly congratulated newly appointed Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Adut Salva, urging her to keep peace at the centre of her mandate.
A childhood forged in struggle
Governor Mabor reminded guests of Adut’s early exposure to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, describing her as “a struggler from childhood” who earned her current post through long commitment rather than privilege, insisting that the appointment represents her legitimate right within the liberation legacy.
Women’s quota under the spotlight
Linking the envoy’s rise to the 35 percent affirmative-action policy championed by the SPLM, the governor argued that broadening female participation is vital for stability, noting that women proved indispensable during the liberation war and remain equally central to governance and reconciliation today.
Peace message resonates across factions
Declaring South Sudan both “at war and at peace”, Rin Tueny vowed he would always pick peace if asked to choose, and implored Adut to make it the primary metric of her portfolio, asserting that mothers and sisters can galvanise communities beyond regional divides to silence the guns.
Next steps for the special programs office
Observers in Juba believe the envoy’s proximity to President Salva Kiir could accelerate grassroots dialogue initiatives, yet they caution that translating ceremonial pledges into tangible security gains will demand sustained coordination among state governors, civil-society leaders and the transitional security architecture.
For now, the applause that greeted the governor’s speech suggests a public eager for conciliatory symbols; whether the new envoy can convert symbolic capital into lasting calm will define the early stages of her tenure.