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YEARNING FOR PEACE!

UNITY STATE

embrace other ways of making a living. as it happened in Jau, Panthou and is in a process of using a mechanism to
“The people of South Sudan have been bombing civilian populated areas in prevent this serious disaster in 2013.”
surviving without the oil for years…oil many parts of South Sudan,” he said. The 9thJanuary “Peace Day” not
celebrated, why? The citizens of Unity
State received news that the 9th of
January, previously known as the ‘Peace
Day’ would no longer be a public
holiday with a huge surprise. The
citizens wondered why that was so but
were told the whole country did not
mark it because it has been officially
replaced with the Independence Day to
be marked on July 9 annually.
While Mr. Peter Pouch Gatwich
welcomes the cancellation of the Peace
Day Celebrations, Mr. Yak Jany, another
state resident asks; “Was it because of the
austerity measure?”
“The Republic of South Sudan chose
to celebrate only the 9th of July which
is our Independence Day,” explained
Abraham Tut Machar, the State Director
General of the Ministry of Labour,
Public Services and Human Resource
Development.
“We have received the official
information in the evening from the
Undersecretary in the National Ministry
of Labour, Public Services and Human
A Church congregation in Bentiu, Unity State. [Gurtong | Luk Riek Nyak] Resource Development that the country
is not in a position to celebrate the 9th

should not be our main concern. We According to Deng, there is a decrease of January….the government will only
must look for other means of survival in Goiter infection in South Sudan celebrate the 9th of July every year,” he
such as agriculture because the oil will right from the closure of borders with said adding that “The public should
not be there forever,” said Deng. Khartoum. Though Gurtong could not panic because the peace day was
Since South Sudan seceded from not independently verify the allegation, not remembered….the country should
Deng attributes the increased goiter not celebrate too many celebrations
the North, hostilities have largely
characterized their relations with some infection then to the salt being imported which are not more important than the
politicians thinking there may be a from the North, which according to him Independence.”
reunion again but this is an idea Deng lacked Iodine compared to salt imported Previously the day would be marked
does not buy. “The two countries will from East Africa. with public celebrations, marches,
not and will never be re-united again to Based on the difficulties brought about speeches, music performances and other
become one nation. We have separated by floods, Deng said: “The farmers of this cultural events in Bentiu.
yet our northern brothers are still State have suffered for many years from
following us to destabilize our security flood destruction; the State government

40 | Gurtong Focus Monthly February 2013