A letter to warring parties - We need peace

Date 22/06/2015
A letter to warring parties;

Sub: We need peace

I am honored and glad to take this opportunity to express our sorrows as citizens of this nation.

First and foremost I would like to thank the warring parties for their commitment in peace talk in Addis Ababa under mediation of IGAD that begun early January 2014 after the war broke out on 13/06/2013 though most agreements did not work due conditions attached, we still hope for peace to prevail in the youngest nation.
I would also like to thank SPLM leadership and former detainees for the ongoing implementation of Arusha unification agreement.

Our dear leaders the war had greatly affected us, every day in South Sudan people are dying but we have to put in mind that every single life of any South Sudanese is more important than anything else and remember that you are given those titles because of us. So please for God sake and for yours subjects, you are leading, we beg all of you to compromise some of the demands and accept the mistakes so that you can bring peace back to South Sudan.
Fighting had never been a solution to any difference. It can only cause destruction of properties and lives.

The impacts of this war are many ranging from social, cultural, psychological, spiritual and above all economically. Allow me to mention few of them;

1) The ongoing war had interrupted our nice projects like constructing and maintenance of roads, schools, hospital and agriculture.

2) Poverty rate increased from 44.7% to 57.2% and most people are displaced from their homes posting them to hard living conditions

3) The oil production had fallen by around 20% due to the conflict and the recent reduction in oil price from 110 USD to 55 USD has aggravated the current situation South Sudan is undergoing. Remember oil contributes to 60% of Gross Domestic Production (GDP).

4) Economically our currency lost value against dollar. This made the prices of commodities in the market to be very expense. An example a bar of blue soap that used to

3ssp is now 10ssp and a sack of sorghum had mounted to 1200ssp. How will an average citizen who lives on one meal a day at 1 USD and government employee grad 14 who earns 350ssp survive? We understand the government brought communities that are currently sold at subsidized price using letter of credit (LC) but not everyone is benefiting.

With the above impacts, I see completely war has no benefit rather than destruction and human suffering. Why don't we accept peace such that together we begin rebuilding our nation?
I pray that the upcoming convention on 26/06/2015 and the next peace talk in Addis or South Africa will make the beginning of peace and tranquility in South Sudan.
"We need peace now not tomorrow".

Thanks
Peter Garang Ngor
Concern Citizen