Suzanne Jambo
Suzanne Jambo is a South Sudanese politician, lawyer, and human rights campaigner.
Suzanne Jambo | |
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Nationality | South Sudanese |
Occupation | Politician and human rights campaigner |
Education
Suzanne Jambo earned a degree in public law from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.[1]
Career and politics
Jambo has been an active human rights campaigner in South Sudan (and southern Sudan before that) for many years. She was a negotiator in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development-led peace process between 1998 and 2005, that resulted in the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, ending 21 years of civil war.[1] She worked with numerous local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in southern Sudan to improve their administration, efficiency and size. She was particularly involved in those organisations that sought to protect women's rights.[1] In 2001, she authored the book Overcoming gender conflict and bias: the case of New Sudan women and girls.[2][3]
She founded the New Sudanese Indigenous Network (NESI), an organisation to bring together 20 Sudanese NGOs to work on common issues such as women's rights, post-conflict rebuilding, human rights and democracy.[1] By 2007 NESI was working with 67 separate NGOs in the region.[2] Jambo was appointed a commissioner for the Southern Sudan Law Drafting Commission which drafted the 2011 Constitution of South Sudan.[2]
For an eight-year period, Jambo was a close adviser of current South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit.[4] This pre-dated Mayardit's presidency to his time with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) where Jambo served as his external relations secretary from at least 2010.[5] She was the first female to act as secretary.[6] She served in the same capacity until at least 2013 when she complained that there were too many advisers from international organisations in South Sudan's government.[7]
She also disagreed with Mayardit over the appointment of his brother-in-law, Gregory Deng Kuac Aduol, as governor of Gogrial State rather than holding elections. As a result, Jambo is now a political opponent of the president.[8] In October 2017, she announced her intention to stand for the presidency in the 2018 South Sudanese general election. Jambo is the first female to run as a presidential candidate in South Sudan.[1][6]
References
- "Female Candidate To Vie For Presidency In 2018 General Election". Gurtong Trust.
- "Suzanne Jambo". Inclusive Security. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Jambo, Suzanne Samson; Federation, New Sudan Women (2001). Overcoming gender conflict and bias: the case of New Sudan women and girls. Jacaranda Designs. ISBN 9789966884503.
- "Sud-Soudan : Salva Kiir, en toute indépendance". Jeune Afrique (in French). 25 January 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Jopson, Barney (20 March 2010). "South Sudan's road to independence". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Chipato, Victor (2018-08-08). "Meet South Sudan's 1st Female Presidential Challenger, Suzanne Jambo - Allnet Africa". Allnet Africa. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- Law, Tom. "South Sudan declares itself open for business". Al Jazeera (12 December 2013). Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- Yel Yel, Simon. "The Question of nepotism in South Sudan". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 12 November 2017.