Freedom Bridge in Juba is expected to be officially opened on 19 May, 2022 - Courtesy

The National Democratic Movement has suggested the renaming of Freedom Bridge to Abe Bridge in honor of the former Japanese Prime Minister who was assassinated on Friday morning.

Shinzo Abe, the longest serving Japanese Prime Minister was confirmed dead hours after he was shot twice by a gunman while giving an election speech in the City of Nara.

The attacker Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, shot Abe in the back, causing him to fall to the ground, before he was arrested.

The assassination of the 67-year-old was received with shock and world leaders conveyed condolences, with US President Joe Biden saying he was “stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened.”

It was under the leadership Abe that the Japanese company JICA started the construction of the newly inaugurated Freedom Bridge in Juba.

However, the work on the Bridge was completed after he resigned in 2020 due to ill condition.

In a message of condolence, NDM Spokesperson Mahmoud Abdelrahman Akot said the demise of Abe is a painful news and that he was a loyal friend of the people of South Sudan, whose support was present at all times.

“During his tenure, we witnessed Japan’s support for many development projects in South Sudan, with a remarkable development in bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels,” Akot said to Eye Radio.

The Spokesperson of Lam Akol said the party appeals to President Salva Kiir to name the bridge after the former leader of the Asian country.

“We appeal to President Salva Kiir to change the name of the Freedom Bridge built by the Japan Development Agency to the Abe Bridge in imitation of the late leader,” he said.