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SOUTH SUDAN / MARTYRS DAY
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / MARTYRS DAY
TRT: 3.27
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC/ NATS
DATELINE: JULY 30, 2013, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Wide shot, local dancers.
2. Wide shot, drummers
3. Wide shot, local dancers.
4. Wide shot, President Salva Kier arriving
5. Med shot, President Salva Kier greeted by Speaker of the Parliament
6. Wide shot, President Salva Kier placing wreath flowers by John Garang’s tomb
7. Wide shot, President and dignitaries by John Garang’s tomb
8. Med shot, President and Speaker by John Garang’s tomb
9. Zoom out, from President on stand soldiers marching past
10. Med shot, disabled soldiers marching
10. Med shot, widows walking past
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maria Gideon, Representative of Widows and Orphans:
“We need land the land that killed our husbands. We don’t say to people sitting here but to our state governors these windows sitting here don’t have lands and we need all of you to write these points down to help the country we need land number one for Agriculture and for buildings and small shops not for building towers but small buildings.”
12. Wide shots, crowd at celebration.
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Salva Kirr Myardit President of the Republic of South Sudan:
”My words to all the state governors and the responsible people is that these people need land to build on; there are non-governmental organizations who want to help. When we talk about our martyrs and heroes, let us reflect and think about what have we done for the remaining Orphans and widows. There are some people in their offices that say to widows ‘go out please am not the one who killed your husband’. This is not the spirit for vulnerable people. We must resist from this. They have presented their requests and comrade Deng is there with them but one hand cannot clap. Let us join hands and support these vulnerable people.”
14. Wide shot, people holding candles
15. Wide shot, army general holding candle
Thousands of South Sudanese braved the rain in celebration of the country’s 8th Martyr’s Day on Tuesday (30 July) which commemorated those that died in the fight to make South Sudan an Independent Nation.
During the ceremony, President Salva Kiir led the occasion by laying a wreath on the tomb of John Garang who led troops in a two decade rebellion against their northern foes. John Garang who is considered a hero by South Sudanese died months after the Comprehensive Peace agreement was signed, when his helicopter crashed on 30th July 2005, only three weeks after he was sworn in as Sudan’s first vice-president.
Martyr’s Day was set for 30th July, in recognition of John Garang and hundreds of thousands of others who fought and others that died in the war.
Marching parades by war veterans wounded in battle, alongside them widows and children of martyrs was the highlight of the day, and they were joined by the armed forces and other dancing troops and other groups.
Maria Gideon, the representative of widows and orphans spoke on behalf of the widows.
Gideon's message to state governors was "these widows sitting here don't have lands and we need all of you to write these points down to help the country we need land."
President Salva Kiir echoed the sentiments of the Widows, he said "my words to all the governors of states and the responsible people that these people needs land to build on."
A candle vigil by those at the event marked the end of the ceremony honoring those fallen in combat.
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