WUNRN
STATEMENT FROM SOUTH SUDAN WOMEN TO THE AFRICAN
UNION (AU)
& INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT (IGAD)
24 JANUARY 2014, ADDIS ABABA
We, the women of South Sudan are shocked and
disappointed by the recent outbreak of armed conflict in South Sudan, and are
also concerned by the wide spread violence that has led to a continuous loss of
numerous lives and displacement of women, men, youth and children.
South Sudan women met at the SPLM secretariat
in Juba on the 20th December 2013 to deliberate on how they can quickly
intervene and seek all possible ways to end the crisis. Thereafter the women of
South Sudan met various leaders to urge for dialogue and peace. The women also
held a national meeting for women from all walks of life on the 15th January in
Juba to discuss all possible interventions for peace. Similarly South Sudanese
women in Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda held meetings on the same on the
17th January 2014 and 19th January 2014 respectively. On the 24th January 2014
we converged in Addis Ababa under the Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC)
conference at the margins of the Heads of State meeting, to share our
experiences and bring the different voices of women of South Sudan together for
peace.
We are also concerned about the negative
involvement of youth, both women and men, as combatants and agents of negative
propaganda in the ongoing conflict; and demand that all parties to the conflict
desist from involving the youth.
We recognize the historic participation of
South Sudanese women in the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005;
and the critical role they played during the 2011 South Sudan referendum for independence.
We, the women of South Sudan are committed to continuously calling for and
defending the peace and all that has been achieved since the signing of the
CPA.
We acknowledge and appreciate the commitment
of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the SPLM/A in opposition
for signing the cessation of hostilities agreement on the 23 January 2014 in
Addis Ababa. We believe that this is an important step towards attaining a
lasting peace in South Sudan. We also acknowledge that this is only the
beginning of a difficult part of the peace process and believe that the
inclusion and full participation of women in the process of mediation and
negotiation is a prerequisite for the success of this process and sustainable
peace in South Sudan.
Based on the above, we the women of South
Sudan call on the AU and IGAD:
We call on our sisters in the African
continent to continue supporting our cause and all actors to respond to the
plea of South Sudanese women.
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