The team of African journalists in the China Africa media exchange fellowship has sympathized with the government and the people of China over the death of two soldiers of the People’s Republic of China that were killed and two others wounded in South Sudan last week.

As the airplane bearing their bodies touched down at the Zhengzhou Airport at about 15.05pm, China time, it was heartbreaking seeing the sad and sorrowing faces of the family members of the slain heroes of world peace.

We send this message to condole the families directly affected and all the people of China with the conviction that their sacrifice and ultimate price for world peace would not be in vain.

 We also condemn the unnecessary violence in South Sudan and task the African Union to do more and call to order all parties responsible for the ceaseless unrest and bloodshed in South Sudan.

So annoying is the continued killing of the common people and foreign soldiers that come to assist in making peace in South Sudan.

At the last outbreak of crisis, over 200 ordinary people and soldiers were killed and those that incite these killings are safe and never prosecuted. The world, and of course China inclusive, should press for the prosecution of the actors that make sure the bloodletting in South Sudan does not abate.

For China, it is saddening that this is the second time in two months the country is losing soldiers on African soil on the assignment of peacekeeping after an earlier incident in Mali. On May 31, 2016, a Chinese soldier in peacekeeping was killed and five others injured.

Although it is painful, but we urge China to see this great sacrifice as the price the whole world pays for a more peaceful world and also to use her powers as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to influence the world towards more peace.

Almost every country that sends peacekeepers on UN or continental missions suffer casualties just like the countries inundated with crises, we therefore call for a better world, a more peaceful world and more effort by all world bodies and citizens to work for peace and bring an end to ceaseless and meaningless killings in any guise all over the world.

As Africans, we are pained at this loss, which is a loss to the whole world, and we salute the heroes and China for the great sacrifice in making sure there is peace and progress in Africa and the world. At present, China has been involved in seven peacekeeping efforts in Africa.

We join the entire world to say ‘enough of wars, enough of waste of lives.’

We also must let the people of China know that we value the efforts of the country in the affairs of Africa and wish that these would make China and African countries stronger in friendship and in creating a better, peaceful world in future.

Signed:

All 28 members