The king of the Anyuak Community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Pochalla South County has called for peaceful coexistence among his subjects and South Sudanese citizens as the country prepares for the first-ever general elections scheduled for December 2026.
The Goc Royal Dynasty’s King Cham Odiel Gora made the remarks during celebrations held in Pochalla Town, along the South Sudan-Ethiopia border, on Wednesday to commemorate the country’s 14th Independence Day anniversary.
The event was attended by local government officials, traditional leaders, and members of the organized forces, with performances from cultural groups, schoolchildren, and the army.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj after the event, King Cham said South Sudan’s independence was hard-earned and that it is worth preserving by burying political differences and preparing the country for transition to democracy.
“President Salva [Kiir] has declared elections next year. In Pochalla, we are behind the president and supportive of elections,” he stated. “This year’s anniversary comes amidst economic hardships and insecurity in parts of the country. However, this should not compel us to forget our struggle for freedom.”
“There are road ambushes and killing of farmers, and we should stop these harmful practices and embrace peaceful coexistence for us to enjoy freedoms and cultivate,” His Majesty Cham added.
The area’s army commander, Brigadier Arobo Ojulu Deng, also reiterated calls for peaceful coexistence and said the Independence Day should be embraced as a tribute to martyrs.
“42 of my colleagues from Equatoria, Bahr el Ghazal, and Upper Nile regions died in a single battle while liberating Pochalla from the Khartoum regime in 1996,” he stated. “For me, this day is a tribute to them and those killed elsewhere. I am proud we have freedoms despite hardships.”
For his part, Othow Okoti Abich, the Pochalla South County commissioner, urged tolerance and forgiveness.
“AS a country, we decided to hold these celebrations at a site where our flag was first hoisted following the 1996 liberation of Pochalla to remember our martyrs,” he said. “42 South Sudanese were killed in that single engagement, and it is good that their names are celebrated. As a tribute to them, let us unite, stop inter-communal feuds, and embrace agriculture.”