South Sudan ambassador to Uganda Simon Juach. | Photo: Emmanuel Akile/Eye Radio

South Sudan’s ambassador to Uganda has called on his fellow countrymen in the southern neighbor to embrace peace and work for a better country.

Simon Juach Deng made the remarks in Kampala Sunday during the celebration of South Sudan’s 12^th anniversary of independence.

He said the Independence Day, which reminds the country of the bitter liberation struggle, should always be cherished.

Ambassador Juach also encourages the South Sudanese community in Uganda to come together and unite in peace regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.

“I’m appealing to each and everyone to pass the message of peace and reconciliation because if there is someone who has not joined peace, he or she should come and join the peace wagon,” he said in the ceremony in Kampala.

“As we celebrate our 12^th year anniversary and we continue to work together, I’m urging you as the South Sudanese community in Uganda to work with your embassy, and all the communities so that we build one strong united South Sudan.”

“For me at the embassy, my vision is one people, one nation, and one destiny, we maybe 64 tribes, but we are one South Sudan.”

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), South Sudan has Africa’s largest refugee crisis with nearly 2.3 million displaced out of the country and millions of others internally displaced.

Uganda hosts the biggest South Sudanese refugee population of 875,848, followed by Sudan with 808,336 as of March 2023, although the data may be subjected to changes due to the current conflict that has caused a double displacement back to South Sudan.

Ambassador Simon Juach further called on South Sudanese refugees to return home, saying the embassy is ready to support them based on its jurisdiction or capacity.

“This peace is real, peace has come, and our people in Juba are staying together. So, our citizens, those who are staying in refugee camps, we want you to go back, but the government cannot force you to go, because it will be against international law.”

“A person called on Eye Radio talk show when I was there asking me, Ambassador, why are you not helping refugees, we cannot help you when you are at a refugee camp.”

“But if you come to the embassy and say you want to go back and you don’t have a document, we can facilitate you to go.”

Thousands of South Sudanese celebrated Independence Day in Kampala Uganda on Sunday with colorful cultural dances and traditional attires.

The event at a hotel in Kampala was attended by diplomats from the Troika, Korea, Turkey, Algeria, Nigeria, Rwanda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Somalia, Burundi, South Africa, France, and Sudan among others.

Uganda Minister of Disaster and Preparedness Hillary Onek was the guest of honor.