MALAKAL, January 9 2009 (Gurtong) – This year’s 4th anniversary celebrations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Malakal, Upper Nile State at Malakal National stadium was attended by several Government of South Sudan (GoSS) officials who attributed development in the state to the prevailing peace.
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Among them was the GoSS Cabinet Affairs minister, Dr. Luka Monoja, who said that this year’s celebration was unique and special for it marked not only the birth of the CPA but also the inauguration of the power and water plants and the launching of the Bank of South Sudan in Malakal.
He expressed his gratitude to the people for their massive turn up despite the shooting incident that occurred outside the national stadium prior to the celebrations.
Dr. Monoja added that with the CPA and the current peace prevailing, the citizens of Upper Nile and South Sudan in general have embraced the will to move forward to build their nation.
“What you see today in Malakal is a great combination of effort by the state government and the people of Upper Nile in a duration of two and half months”, stated Dr Luka in reference to the massive development of Malakal and its environs in the run up to the celebrations.
The minister stated that the annual celebrations are marked in remembrance of the late SPLM leader, Dr. John Garang’s achievement in signing the peace agreement in 2005 that has led to tremendous socio-economical development in South Sudan.
He added that the fete also served as an audit of the government’s progress in implementing the peace deal and identifying gaps in a bid to attain lasting peace and development.
Also speaking at the function, the governor of Upper Nile, Major General Gatluak Deng Garang, absolved the residents of the state from the misconception that they were corrupt, saying that corruption is a curse and a shame that should not be condoned in the society.
The governor appealed to the youth to uphold and promote South Sudanese cultures in order to gain more traditional knowledge of their nation as they are the leaders of the next generation.
He blamed the sudden cultural change on returnees from the Diaspora whom he said had blindly imitated western culture at the expense of their own.
Major Gatluak added that the people of Malakal were honored to host the memorable and historic celebrations that also saw the official signing of the two protocols for the construction of Rumbek Hospital and the reconstruction of the Malakal - Renk - Khartoum and Malakal - Jongelie -Juba roads between the Chinese ambassador to Sudan and the republic of Sudan.