H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan.Photo/TRC
President Salva Kiir has urged the citizens of South Sudan
to place the nation’s interests over personal interest.
In his martyrs' Day message, Kiir emphasized the necessity
of hard work for peace and the country that the heroes died for.
“I would like to use this occasion to remind us to work hard
to achieve peace, prosperity and togetherness in this great Republic of South
Sudan. Let’s put our nation first above the individual interests for the sake
of our future generations,” Kiir said.
South Sudan, a country coming out of post-independence conflict
in a quest for lasting peace, is also experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis and
insecurity nationwide.
Kiir said for the country to achieve peace and get out of
economic crisis, he urges that the country’s quest must be reflected by all.
“Our desire for peace must not be misconstrued as weakness
rather it must be reciprocated for sake of economic wellbeing and peoples’
prosperity in the entire region,” he stated.
Martyr’s Day is an annual event to honor those who
sacrificed their lives during the 21-year liberation struggle that culminated
in the country’s independence. It also marks the anniversary of Dr. John
Garang’s death in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005.
President Kiir acknowledged the fallen liberators as the
nation’s beacon of hope and stressed the importance of recognizing their
sacrifices during the liberation struggle.
“Let’s praise,
recognize the veterans and martyrs of our beloved country, who sacrificed their
lives for the sake of liberating this country, and at the same time, secured
the dignity and pride of the Republic of South Sudan and its people,” Kiir
urged.
“This magnificent day, the 30th of July, comes each year to
let us pay rich tributes to our fallen heroes, who have always been the
nation’s hope and pride.”
“We came together from a long way in the struggle for making South Sudan strong and rock solid. Our resilient nation and battle-hardened Armed Forces have time and again proved that we are fully capable of defending the country and ready to meet any kind of eventuality.”