SSHURSA: Commemorating the 5th Anniversary of the killing of Isaiah Abraham
7 min readSouth Sudan Human Rights Society For Advocacy (SSHURSA): ISAIAH ABRAHAM’S 5TH ANNIVERSARY 5 DECEMBER 2017
SSHURSA Commemorates ISAIAH ABRAHAM 5th Anniversary, calls for respect for right to life, freedom of speech and expression in South Sudan
December 6, 2017 (SSB) — Today 5th December 2017 marks the 5th Anniversary when Isaiah Diing Abraham Chan Awuol(Isaiah Abraham) was assassinated in South Sudan’s capital Juba. He was killed in his house at Gudele in the morning of 5th December 2012. The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy(SSHURSA) today commemorates the 5th year of Abraham’s painful departure. SSHURSA regards him as the first victim in the fight for a free South Sudanese society. He remains a hero whose blood continues to remind us that there is no free freedom. He died with deep love for his country.
Isaiah Abraham was killed because he stood up for the silent majority of South Sudanese whose rights to food, water, security, free participation in the affairs of their country, freedom of speech, press and expression, life, equality before the law among others, were being trampled upon by the South Sudanese authorities since 2005 and throughout after the Independence on 9th July 2011 to date.
Ironically, Isaiah Abraham fought for the liberation of South Sudan from injustices of successive Sudanese Arab regimes BUT he died unfortunately in capital city-Juba, which has been under the protection of his own fellow South Sudanese rebel leaders turned political elites.
SSHURSA continues to remember Isaiah Abraham because he remains a hero in the protection of human rights and civil liberties. He stood up and had spoken out for those who could not speak for themselves. His calls for a democratic, peaceful, equal and justice-oriented South Sudanese state caused him his life and deprived his family and the nation of the potential leader of his caliber.
Isaiah Abraham’s numerous writings which warned South Sudanese governmental authorities of the dangers of disrespecting rule of law and human rights were never listened to. All what he warned South Sudanese against, threw the young country into bloody civil wars in 2013, a year after his assassination.
Over the last five years, SSHURSA continues to ask about Isaiah Abraham’s demise:
- Who assassinated him?
- Who sent them to kill him?
- Where are his assassins?
- When is justice going to be done?
Despite sanctimonious proclamations made by the Government of South Sudan on 4th January 2013, that the suspects of Abraham’s assassination were apprehended by the government, yet five years have passed on, without justice being done. Neither identities of the proclaimed suspects have been shown nor anyone has been tried for his assassination. South Sudan government has failed to provide any single response to the above questions. Such a conduct of the state digs deep negatively to its innocence over Isaiah Abraham’s assassination. SSHURSA continues to assert that the state through its security agents, remains responsible or at least should have known who assassinated Isaiah Abraham.
Since Isaiah Abraham’s assassination, freedom of press, speech, and expression and the right to life as well as other civil liberties, have diminished in South Sudan. Many journalists and outspoken individuals have been always arbitrarily arrested and detained. A number of them and other citizens have disappeared, killed, while others have opted for exile to save their lives.
As SSHURSA remembers Isaiah Abraham’s painful demise, it equally commemorates the heroic work and courage of the following journalists and other South Sudanese who have been assassinated, while others having been disappeared:
- Banyjioth Mathot: March 2013(youth member who was found dead beneath the fence of the home of former South Sudanese Deputy Minister of Interior General Salva Mathok).
- Modessa Wiyual: December 2012(Civil Society youth Leader who disappeared in Juba).
- Engineer John Louis: March 2011(He disappeared in Juba).
- Musa Mohammed; journalist killed on 25 January 2015. Worked with South Sudan Radio, Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
- Boutros Martin; journalist killed on 25 January 2015. Worked with South Sudan Television, Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
- Dalia Marko; journalist killed on 25 January 2015. Worked with Raja Radio Station, Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
- Randa George; journalist killed on 25 January 2015. Worked with Raja Radio Station, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
- Adam Juma; journalist killed on 25 January 2015. Worked with Raja Radio Station, Western Bahr el Ghazal.
- Pow James Reath; journalist killed on 20 May 2015 in Akobo County. Worked with Radio Tamazuj.
- Peter Julius Moi; journalist killed on 19 August 2015 in Juba. Worked with Corporate Weekly Newspaper. Juba.
- Clement Lochio; journalist who was disappeared in Eastern Equatoria in August 2015. Worked before with Gurtong Trust.
- John Gatluak Manguet; journalist killed on 11 July 2016, at Terrain hotel in Juba. Worked with the Community Internews Radio, Juba.
- Christopher Allen; killed on 26 August 2017 in Kaya town at South Sudan-Uganda borders. An American journalist who covered the events of the ongoing civil war in South Sudan.
- Dong Samuel Luak: Human Rights Lawyer who disappeared in January 2017, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Aggrey Idri Esbon: SPLM/A Armed Opposition official who disappeared in January 2017, Nairobi, Kenya.
Like Abraham’s assassination, no one has been held accountable in all the above and other several cases not mentioned. Since 2005, South Sudanese lives continue to be in danger. By 15 December 2013, many lives were lost in capital Juba. That marks the start of the ongoing civil war which continues to rage all over South Sudan today. SSHURSA condemns such violation of the right to life. South Sudanese people, since the year 1955, through 1983 to 2005, fought wars of liberation against North Sudanese. The struggle was to secure a free, democratic society and a state that respects the rights of its citizens. Citizens’ expectations have been failed and those who dared to speak out against injustices meted on ordinary South Sudanese have instead, paid the ultimate price with their own lives. SSHURSA continues to remember Isaiah Abraham as one of the bravest sons of South Sudan who stood up and spoke out against the violations of human rights and civil liberties.
APPEALS:
To the Government of South Sudan and authorities:
- bring perpetrators to justice. This will prove the innocence of the state and its agents in the series of assassinations and disappearances in South Sudan.
- respect human rights and civil liberties of every person in South Sudan.
- use peaceful means that honor the sacrifices made by fallen and living South Sudanese people to attain an independent South Sudanese State.
- refrain from inciting violence through statements with the consequence which endanger the lives of ordinary people.
To the journalists, writers, civil society leaders and those who speak out for others:
- continue standing up and speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves whose rights continue to be violated.
- document all violations and use legal means to push for justice to hold perpetrators accountable.
- support the families or children of the deceased and disappeared, persons.
To the international and regional bodies:
- support South Sudanese journalists, writers, human rights defenders and others who continue to speak out for those whose rights are being violated and have no any opportunity to speak up for themselves.
- be consistent in exerting efforts to bring lasting peace that will ensure South Sudanese state that respects human rights especially the right to life and other civil liberties.
To the families of the disappeared and assassinated persons:
- SSHURSA sends condolences to you and stands with you in these bitter memories.
- SSHURSA urges you to continue focused on pushing for justice for your loved ones no matter the time it takes.
Losing one life is a blow to all persons who have humanity at heart and regrettable loss to South Sudan especially a young man like Isaiah Abraham and others who stood up and spoke out against evils which if were corrected, would not have thrown South Sudan into the ongoing civil war. SSHURSA condemns the ongoing displacements and violence against civilians in South Sudan. It urges the warring parties to refrain from the use of violence and instead exert efforts to come to the roundtable for peaceful resolution of the conflict which will honor the blood of those who love South Sudan such as Isaiah Abraham.
Signed:
Biel Boutros Biel, Executive Director
About SSHURSA: The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy(SSHURSA) is a non-political and nonprofit-making national human rights organization, founded on 5 June 2007, by South Sudanese lawyers and Law Students. VISION STATEMENT: “A democratic, peaceful and human rights abiding South Sudan”. MISSION STATEMENT: “To monitor, document and publish human rights status in South Sudan and to train the general public in human rights, fundamental freedoms of an individual, rule of law, constitution, transitional justice, peacebuilding and governance to creating an informed, responsible, justice and good governance oriented citizenry”. SSHURSA pays special focus on the rights of women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities. 2017 marks SSHURSA 10th Anniversary of its existence and it dedicates the year 2017 to the memories of Isaiah Abraham.
For more information on this statement or about SSHURSA, contact us through: E-mail: sshursa2007@gmail.com/bielbb2015@gmail.comm, Cell: +211 922355200.
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