Raila Odinga, the high representative for infrastructure development in Africa - Credit | Peter Louis | May 19, 2022

The high representative for infrastructure development in Africa has called on leaders in South Sudan to talk as brother and seek home-grown solutions to problems the country faces.

Raila Amollo Odinga who is also former Prime Minister of Kenya encouraged the leaders to forgive each other and work towards a better future for South Sudan.

He said the country is bigger than individuals.

Odinga also cited the 2007 violence in Kenya, but was resolved amicably between him and the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Odinga says for the country to prosper, peace should begin by leaders, rather than searching for it in other countries.

“We had a problem, and no country in Africa doesn’t have problems. There were problems in Kenya, in 2007, many people were killed during disruptions following the disputed election in 2007,” Raila said during the opening of Freedom Bridge in Juba Thursday morning.

“We say, we have a home grown solution to our problem and we shook hands together with Uhuru Kenyatta that brought peace in the Country,

“I’m talking to my brother here, in South Sudan, you have also crises, but I have told them the solution is here the solution is not in Addis Ababa not in Kampala or Entebbe not in Nairobi not in Khartoum its right here,

“I want you people to talk as brothers and let the guns go to the barracks and you have to be protected by civilian police. If you guys do this nothing can stop us in this region of East Africa from achieving proper integration of this reunion and realize the dreams of the founding fathers of this country”.

For his part, President Salva Kiir welcomed Raila Odinga’s remarks.

“It is this desire for infrastructural development that we are pleased to have His Excellency Raila Odinga with us today, he is here at his capacity as the high representative for infrastructure development in Africa,” Kiir said.

“The advice he gave us, we should take them seriously because of peace. When they shook hands with President Uhuru, whatever differences that were between them disappeared and they are now at peace in Kenya.”