FairPlanet.Support
| tags: | #South Sudan, #Peter Biar Ajak, #human rights, #imprisonment |
|---|---|
| located: | South Sudan |
| by: | Yair Oded |
Peter Biar Ajak, a prominent peace advocate and academic, is being held in detention in Juba, South Sudan, for no reason other than his desire to promote peace and justice throughout the war-torn country.
Displaced by the ongoing civil war, Ajak grew up in several refugee camps outside South Sudan before being resettled to the United States by humanitarian charities. In the U.S., Ajak attended high school and finally graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009 with a Masters in Public Administration and International Development. Prior to his arrest, Ajak has been pursuing his PhD at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
Throughout his professional career, Ajak has remained focused on South Sudanese issues, and worked tirelessly to promote peace and tolerance, particularly among the nation’s youth. Ajak has founded South Sudan Young Leaders Forum (SSYLF), an organisation dedicated to bringing together South Sudanese youths from across ethnic and political background and foster dialogue and fellowship between them (through educational and sports activities). His ultimate goal is to spawn a new generation of young leaders who collaborate to build peace in the country.
Ajak was arrested at the Juba international airport in July 2018, and has been held in detention by the National Security Services (NSS) ever since. Ajak is one of many South Sudanese who have been apprehended by the NSS due to their ethnicity, political affiliation, or activist agenda. As indicated by Amnesty International, such prisoners are subject to inhumane treatment and torture while in the state’s custody. Several reportedly died while in detention.
Ajak’s loved ones have launched a GoFundMe campaign raising money to advocate for his release.
Please consider donating to this important cause, and help reunite Ajak with his wife and two daughters.
Image: Courtesy of Catherine Lee to GoFundMe.
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