Activist Warns South Sudanese Elites Against Inciting Political Violence

By Jenifer James

The Civil society activist and the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani has strongly urged South Sudanese political elites, both domestically and internationally, to reject violent methods in resolving political disagreements and to prioritize dialogue instead.

“It has come to our attention that a majority of our elites have recently opted for violent attitudes in addressing their political differences or discontent,” Yakani said in a press statement released on Monday.

Yakani, who leads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), expressed deep concern that such behavior is perpetuating a harmful culture of violence in the country. He described this trend as a “dangerous syndrome” and cautioned that South Sudan could take decades to overcome it if left unchecked.

“We are disturbed by this,” he said. “This leads us to conclude that we have a section of our elites forming a political caste in the country. This syndrome is perilous because it will take decades for this country to move away from resolving differences through violence.”

Yakani criticized the tendency of some elites to use inflammatory language or adopt aggressive postures when expressing political views.

“Whenever an elite expresses themselves, they often load their language with violence or adopt a violent approach to seeking solutions,” he added.

He appealed to South Sudanese elites to take responsibility for promoting peace and stability, emphasizing that they have the power to influence change, both within and outside the country.

“You can’t improve the situation in this country until you change your attitudes toward embracing dialogue as a means of resolving political differences,” he said. “The country is paying a painful price in terms of violence affecting ordinary citizens, while the factors that trigger this violence are driven by elites.”

Yakani concluded with a direct appeal to political leaders: “Please don’t position yourselves as a political elite caste in this country. Take responsibility for ensuring peace and stability prevail. The best way forward is to embrace dialogue as a tool for addressing your grievances and political disagreements.”