The South Sudanese diaspora community
have been urged to return home and use their skills to help progress the young
nation.
The call was made by Twic East MP and
chief whip in the South Sudan parliament, Atem Garang.
Garang was speaking on the occasion of
Martyrs Day to the South Sudanese diaspora community in the Canadian city of
Winnipeg, according to a report sent to the Sudan Tribune by South
Sudanese residents in the city.
The Jonglei state MP was in Canada at
the invitation of the South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLA) Canada
chapter and the Council of Sudanese Community (COSCOM) in Manitoba.
In his address, Garang urged South
Sudanese in the diaspora to unite, embrace the spirit of unity and provide much
needed professional skills for South Sudan to develop. Garang said these skills
are currently lacking in the country.
He also advised the community in the
diaspora to take pride in their country, asking them to desist from attacking
each other on the basis of tribe on internet forums, particularly the readers’
comments section on the Sudan Tribune website. He added all tribes in
South Sudan belong to the country and that all are equal as citizens.
The South Sudan official praised the
community in Winnipeg for their unity and asked members of the disapora
elsewhere to emulate their approach, saying such cooperation builds equality
and progress.
Garang told the audience that South
Sudan president Salva Kiir is committed to implementing reforms needed for
South Sudan to make progress, saying the first step is to have a lean and
technocratic government.
However he conceded the country is
facing several challenges inherited from when the young nation attained
independence from Sudan.
He pointed out that the lack of human
capital, infrastructure, healthcare, capable civil servants, a strong education
system and ongoing insecurity are some of the major issues facing the young
nation.
He blamed the insecurity in some parts
of the country on inter-communal conflicts and practices such as cattle raiding
and the killing of innocent civilians.
Garang’s visit to Canada to speak to
South Sudanese in the country was the third by a South Sudan official.
In 2011, SPLM deputy secretary-general
Anna Ito visited Canada to address the South Sudanese community in in Calgary,
while speaker of the national assembly James Wani travelled to Quebec earlier
this year to speak to the diaspora community there.
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