Muslims Pray For S. Sudan Peace

Thousands of South Sudanese Muslims converged early Monday for the prayer of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.



Addressing worshippers at the Al Zarah playground in Juba, Sheikh Juma Said Ali, the chairperson of Central Equatoria Muslim Council, called for peace and stability in South Sudan.



"We, Muslim communities in South Sudan, support peace and condemn the killings among South Sudanese," he told the congregation.



"This is a time to work together as South Sudanese to build a strong nation," he said.



The Muslim leader also called for rallying efforts to fight hunger in the world's nascent state.



"Farmers should go back to their farms and begin cultivation during this rainy season," he said. "Our people are going hungry and this is the only way to overcome it."



Ali also hailed President Salva Kiir and his government for supporting South Sudan's Muslims.



"I would like also to appreciate the strong cooperation between the faith groups in the country," he said.



Monday's prayer was attended by government officials, business people and foreign citizens, especially from Somalia, Uganda, Egypt and Eritrea.



The prayer was one of several sermons held in several places, including playgrounds, fuel stations and mosques in celebration of the Muslim feast.



Most prayer leaders lamented the conflict in the nascent country and called for bringing about peace in South Sudan.



South Sudan has been shaken by violence since last December, when President Salva Kiir accused his sacked vice-president Riek Machar of plotting to overthrow his regime.



Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have since been displaced in subsequent fighting, while large swathes of the population continue to face an increasingly grave humanitarian crisis.



-Grateful-



Muslims from foreign countries expressed gratitude for celebrating Eid al-Fitr in South Sudan.



"It is the first time for me to celebrate Eid al-Fitr here in Juba and I appreciate the good cooperation between the people," Mohammed Abrahim, a Muslim from Sudan's Blue Nile region, told Anadolu Agency.



"During my fasting, I prayed for peace in this country and I know the people will achieve it," he said.



Ahmed Osman, a businessman from Egypt, also hailed the South Sudanese government for allowing freedom of worship in the country.



"I never expected such a huge gathering of Muslims in South Sudan after the independence," Osman told AA.



"I am very glad to witness such a big gathering of Muslim in Juba to mark the end of Ramadan," he said.



In South Sudan, most Muslim communities are concentrated in urban areas and most notably Juba, with a few in other towns. A big number of foreigners in the country are Muslims too.



Gatkak Yang from Nasir in South Sudan's Upper Nile State called on the country's political foes to work for achieving peace in the country.



"I want to take this time to call on the rebels to lay down their arms and work with the leadership so that we can build our country," Yang said.



In recent months, South Sudan's rivals held on-again, off-again peace negotiations in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a Djibouti-based East African trade bloc.



In June, both sides agreed to form a transitional government within 60 days, i.e., before August 10.



By Okech Francis



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Cuba