December 15: An Evening of Remembrance and Reflection on South Sudan’s conflict On the evening of 15 December 2013 and into the morning of 16 December, gunfire and violence erupted in the capital of South Sudan, Juba, reportedly between different factions within the South Sudanese army. Heavy fighting continued across Juba and in the ensuing days in different parts of the country. This marked the start of a war that rapidly engulfed much of the country. This conflict has devastated South Sudan. Forces have killed thousands of people including men, women, and children targeted and killed purposefully because of their ethnic background, in gruesome massacres, or shot in their homes, in hospitals or churches, trying to hide or flee. Entire towns have been pillaged, burned entire towns, and swathes of rural areas that now lie abandoned. An estimated 2 million people have run from their homes. Markets, homes, restaurants, bars, schools, clinics – the products of millions of people determined to build a country – lie destroyed. A year of unsuccessful peace negotiations and broken ceasefire agreements has left South Sudanese with an uncertain future that many fear will reflect a traumatic past of human rights abuses, war and inter-communal violence. Divided by the political failures, the ongoing conflict and the uncertainty of peace, the people of South Sudan face a huge task to repair deep and dangerous rifts between them. On December 15, 2014, a group of international agencies with a long history of working in South Sudan and across the region, will host an evening, open to all, to pause and reflect on the past painful year and mark the resilience of the civilians, the children, parents, humanitarians, journalists and activists caught in the crisis who continue to protect each other and fight for peace and justice. Students, activists, humanitarians and civil society leaders will reflect on the need for those who have hopes for a peaceful and just country in the hands of its own people to work together to better protect the next generation of children, ensure the best possible chance for justice for the worst crimes and continue to work for peace, communication and kindness. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to speak, the names of some of those who have lost their lives in this conflict will be read aloud, and candles will be lit in remembrance.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:27:05 +0000
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