'We really need help:' Alberta’s South Sudanese community holds conference to address issues impacting their members

Hundreds of South Sudanese Albertans took part in a first-of-its-kind conference this weekend to come up with ways to address the violence, discrimination and poverty many in their community face.

“Before COVID-19, there were a lot of problems within our community, but they were not magnified the way COVID-19 magnified them,” said Mawien Akot, a community leader in Edmonton and one of the organizers of the conference.

The South Sudanese Healing and Reconciliation Conference, which took place on Saturday and Sunday at the Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre, brought together roughly 350 people from across the province to share their experiences.

Mary Malueth was one of them. Her 23-year-old son Abiem Kuol Akel Abiem was killed in a Forest Lawn shooting in 2016.

Friday marked six years since his death, but the wounds are still healing.

“I don’t want this to happen to another family, like it happened to me,” Malueth said.

Many, like Malueth, came to Canada to escape the civil war and give their children a better life, but instead, they’re dying here.

“My community, we really need help. We lost our children,” she said.

“Bring us together and kids, they will know each other and then they will not kill each other.”

The conference aimed to address those very issues impacting young people, including gang and gun violence.

“Our community has been so polarized and disorganized, affected by things that have happened due to civil war in South Sudan that has brought division within ourselves here in Alberta,” Akot said.

He said many South Sudanese Albertans are also struggling with addiction, worsening mental health, homelessness, family crisis and disintegration and a lack of education and employment opportunities.

“We are suffering in silence but we are a very sizeable community of almost 18,000 people, so you know, what affects us also affects other Canadians,” Akot said.

SHOCKWAVES

Earlier this year, 41-year-old Latjor Tuel was shot and killed by Calgary police, sending shockwaves through the South Sudanese community.

Witnesses say a distressed Tuel advanced on officers with a knife during a standoff on Feb. 19 and was shot multiple times.

ASIRT continues to investigate.

Family members say Tuel was a child soldier in Sudan and was struggling with his mental health, but was not an aggressive man.

“If we come here to Canada to only end up being shot or being discriminated against getting good jobs, becoming homeless and all these things, there’s no reason why we should be here,” Akot said.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek attended the conference on Saturday and vowed to do what she can to address the issues.

Garang Kuot, another conference organizer and community leader in Calgary, said support from all levels of government is needed, but the solution must come from the community.

“We are the people that know the dynamics, we are the people that know the contexts, so the solution must come from us,” he said.

Malueth agreed, saying she is thankful to have her voice be heard.

"I’m still mourning for my son, but when I see my community come together, this make me happy," she said.