US calls on South Sudan’s rival leaders to prioritise peace
October 15, 2014 (BOR) – The United States has called on South Sudan’s warring parties to take swift measures to restore peace and assist the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the violence
He said the international community expects the country’s rival leaders to prioritise peace efforts.
“Peace remains the top priority, and the only priority,” Booth said, who was accompanied by envoys from Norway and the UK.
The South Sudan crisis erupted in mid-December last year after ahad led to displacement of more than 1.5 million people either inside South Sudan or in neighboring countries and others were killed in the fighting.
Booth pledged ongoing US support for the peace process in Ethiopia, which is being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Jonglei was the scene of fierce fighting at the height of the conflict, changing heads several times between government and rebel forces.
The violence sparked mass displacement, as well as widespread destruction of public infrastructure.
However, the state’s caretaker governor, John Kong Nyuon, told the visiting diplomats that the security situation was now calm and many local residents were returning.
The delegates paid a visit the Bor market, which was almost completely destroyed during clashes in December and January, as government and rebel forces fight for control of the town.
In his welcoming message to the delegates, Nyuon said the state is working hard to create a sense of harmony among the people of Jonglei ahead of the national peace expected from Addis Ababa.
Kong said an inter-tribal chief conference would soon be held in Bor to address lingering differences between the two tribes as a result of the crisis.
Nuer and Dinka Bor leaders are expected to attend the forum.
(ST)