Statement by the U.S. Embassy on South Sudan’s Martyrs’ Day
July 30, 2023
In South Sudan, Martyrs’ Day honors those who sacrificed their lives so that the South Sudanese people could determine their own future. The United States supported the people of South Sudan in this effort—an effort based on foundational values, including a commitment to human rights, peace, democracy, and the ability of people to have a government that is responsive to their needs.
As South Sudan remembers those who lost their lives in pursuit of independence, we also remember colleagues from the United States Agency for International Development who made the ultimate sacrifice providing assistance to the people of what would later become South Sudan. Among them were local colleagues who were killed in Juba by the then-regime in Khartoum before they could see the birth of their new country. They also include an American colleague, assassinated while he was managing an assistance program. As we honor the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for the South Sudanese people, we look to those in positions of power and influence in this country to accelerate efforts to meet peace commitments so that the South Sudanese people can achieve the better future they deserve. That is the best way, indeed the only way, to properly honor those who are remembered on Martyrs’ Day.
The audio file was read by U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler.
