South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation has called on the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) to stop hostilities in order to create a path for peace throughout the country.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation, stated that the field commanders of both armed groups must cease attacks to facilitate peace in South Sudan.
“I would like to take this opportunity to raise an alarm and a call to the field commanders of the warring parties, namely, the field commanders of SPLA-IO and SSPDF, to stop the culture of continuous armed conflict,” said Yakani on Monday in a statement.
“Our appeal is that your culture of continuous military confrontation among yourselves, in which you refuse to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving political differences, is forcing the country to face food insecurity,” he said.
On June 20, 2025, armed men stole medical supplies, robbed staff of their belongings, and set ablaze two ambulances at the medical facility operated by MSF in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State.
Yakani stated that the civilian population does not feel secure and protected in their farms, adding that the global trend of humanitarian assistance is diminishing across the world, including in South Sudan.
“We are aware that right now, in some parts of the country, there are violence hotspots. We are talking about the protection of civilians from armed conflict and from human rights violations associated with armed conflict,” he said.
“Enough is enough; it is time for you to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation. For how long do you want to remain in uniform as a curse to the civilian population? You force them to be displaced or seek refuge in foreign countries, denying them the opportunity to farm.”
Yakani appreciated the leadership of SSPDF for punishing soldiers reported to be looting from the civilian population, adding that the leadership of SPLA-IO must also take bold decisions to punish armed men who loot civilians.
“You don the uniform not to bring a curse upon the civilian population. We are appealing to you, our brothers and sisters in uniform, in your various capacities. We are tired of your culture of military confrontation.”
