CSOs in Western Equatoria State gathered as one team under the Network for Civil Society Organizations (NeCSOs) to express their feelings about Western Equatoria State government decision spearheaded by Governor H.E. Lt. Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba’s declaration of the Civic and Political Space in the state. Civil Society Organizations in the entire South Sudan have been facing a challenge of Civic and Political Space to perform their roles freely, and the Western Equatoria State CSOs took steps to seek this kind of freedom through advocacies that led to the declaration of Civic and Political Space in the State.
The Network for Civil Society Organizations in Western Equatoria State Organized to make this achievement remarkable by inviting different stakeholders and partners to celebrate it together at the Civic Engagement Center in Western Equatoria State. CSOs in the sitting also recognized the effort of the Governor as the first Governor in the Republic of South Sudan to declare Civic and Political Space, the Civil Society Organizations decided to award him with a certificate of excellence for such an achievement and called up him and his government to put the declaration into action. On the other hand, he was given a letter sent by the Warap State Civil Society Organizations Network (WACSON). Although the Governor couldn’t visit for this ceremony, he sent a representative to attend on his behalf, the state minister of Cabinet Affairs.
The UNITED NATION MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN (UNMISS) took part also in the presentation of Civic and Political Space and the Legal Frameworks that guarantee these rights both locally and internationally.
The presentation was for understanding the Civic space as:
The freedom to exercise human rights and core freedoms, enables individuals to speak out, organize, and participate in governance. This includes freedom of association, expression, and assembly. On the other hand, political space is about the sphere of political participation, competition, and representation.
The importance of understanding civic and political space is not just a theoretical exercise, but a crucial aspect, especially in Western Equatoria State. It’s an essential element for democratic governance and citizen participation. Recognizing the significance of civic and political space in promoting accountability, inclusivity, and stability in societies is vital.
The guest of honor was the person sent on behalf of the Governor of Western Equatoria State who closed the ceremony after delivering his speech. He congratulated and appreciated the civil Society Organizations for such an initiative. I have been representing the Governor on many occasions if you ask me I will say this is the one I was happy at said the Governor’s representative. As a call-up for Civil Society, they were challenged to engage in the Tambura Peace Conference and identify why it keeps on being postponed.