Gsolomon20’s Weblog

Our call to action/slash/birthday commemoration for Ajak is the top story on the front page of today’s Twin Cities Daily Planet (see screenshot at right).

The event was also covered by three Twin Cities television stations, and our press releases were posted on four Sudan news web sites. Thanks to the journalists who have helped raise awareness of child abduction in South Sudan.

We just posted, on our Official Statements page, the supportive letter that U.S. Senator Norm Coleman sent to our event Monday commemorating Ajak’s second birthday. Here’s a key quote (emphasis added):

“As many of you may already be aware, Senator Klobuchar and I have sent a letter to the Vice President of Sudan urging a peaceful resolution to this situation and the voluntary release of Yar and Ajak Mading and all abducted children in the region. My colleagues and I believe this crisis presents an important opportunity for the Government of South Sudan to distinguish itself as a government that protects the rights of its most vulnerable citizens.“

• Full letter (Microsoft Word document)

Here’s our press release from Monday’s event:

Minnesotans mark abducted girl’s 2nd birthday with hope, call for negotiations

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota students and officials gathered Monday to commemorate the second birthday of a girl who is still missing more than three months after she and her sister were abducted in South Sudan. The group praised the Government of South Sudan for placing a priority on recovering an estimated 400 abducted children with a military operation launched two weeks ago. But amid reports that the abducting bandits have largely retreated, taking the children with them, the Minnesota group urged South Sudan officials to negotiate for their release.

“We are grateful that President Salva Kiir and the Government of South Sudan have declared it a priority to recover abducted children. They deserve credit for that,” said Robyn Skrebes of St. Paul, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota and chair of the student-led campaign against child abduction in South Sudan. “With respect, we renew our request to the government of South Sudan to attempt a nonviolent approach. Rather than chase the armed groups around – or worse, confront them and risk the lives of the abducted children – instead, reach out to them.”

Following the speeches, Skrebes symbolically blew out candles on a birthday cake that bore the message, “Happy Birthday, Ajak: Not Forgotten.”

(See photos at www.save-yar.org/photos . Read Robyn’s full comments here.)

Message from members of Congress; praise for Salva Kiir and Ismail Konyi: Read the rest of this entry ?

We will gather at noon Monday, January 14, in the Rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol to commemorate the fact that Ajak Mading will turn 2 years old that day. Our sadness that she is still being held captive, in an unknown location, is balanced by our hopes for an improved security situation in southeast Sudan (see entry below).
Read the rest of this entry ?

We were encouraged by the article in the Sudan Tribune on Dec. 25 which reports that the new governor of Jonglei state, Kuol Manyang Juuk, spoke directly to the prominent Murle official Sultan Ismail Konyi and that Sultan Konyi “accepted” the concept that Murle groups would disarm.

Now comes even better news. A writer for the Sudan Tribune, Deng-Athoi Galuak, told us today that armed groups in Jonglei’s Pibor County have disarmed or fled before the advance of SPLA troops in the last two weeks, and that the SPLA now occupies Pibor. Deng-Athoi said Sultan Konyi has been a constructive participant in these developments: “Sultan Konyi is part of the disarmament unit and everything is going well … Konyi is taking a personal role.”

This is still second- and thirdhand information, and we are seeking to confirm these reports. But if the security situation has thus improved, then we owe deep thanks to South Sudan President Salva Kiir, the new governor, and Sultan Konyi.

We are reaching out to local and international officials and urging them to renew their search for Yar and Ajak. Deng-Athoi said some of the disarming groups also voluntarily released about 73 abducted children, but those children were reportedly from different counties and ethnic groups than Yar and Ajak.  Deng-Athoi said a senior SPLA officer told him that the plan is to recover “the rest” of the abducted children “after full disarmament is completed in February.”  Deng-Athoi commented, “It seems that children will be returned more peacefully than what we anticipated.”

Stay tuned! –DLB