South Sudan’s Kiir says Sudan war undermines sovereignty
July 10, 2024 (JUBA)- South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has the conflict in Sudan has undermined its strength and sovereignty to protect civilians and properties.
“I am fully aware that beyond security concerns, the worsening violence in the Republic of Sudan undermined the strength and sovereignty of the state and protection of the civilians. It has been a year since the war broke in Sudan, causing a devastating humanitarian crisis and bringing long existing political and ethnic tension beyond the point of backing down”, he remarked.
Kiir was speaking at the occasion marking the 13th independence anniversary.
South Sudan seceded from neighbouring on July 9, 2011 following an earlier referendum where 98 percent of its population voted for separation from Sudan.
The referendum was a key provision in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the two-decade North-South Sudan civil war.
On July 9, however, the South Sudanese leader urge the warring factions in Sudan to accept dialogue and negotiations for peace to prevail in war-torn nation.
“The war has spread across several regions of Sudan and led to the collapse of infrastructural systems including health care and sanitation services, as well as causing thousands of deaths and displacements. It is no secret that the war in Sudan has negatively contributed to the decline in South Sudan oil production and has negatively affected our economy”, he explained.
The world’s youngest nation has been one of the countries in the region which has been advocating for peaceful settlement of the war in neighbouring Sudan.
Analysts have been linking the cause of concern to security, economic, and political ramifications on its economy, given the geographical location of Sudan in the region. Sudan is also a country at the intersection and through which the crude oil of South Sudan is transported to the international markets for sale.
The South Sudanese leader urged the parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and accept peaceful dialogue as the best to end suffering and restore peace and stability
“I urge warring parties to halt hostilities, give peace a chance, silence the guns, and go back to the regional and international peace-mediated efforts. I called upon the two sides to work to restore peace and to seek sustainable solutions to the conflict through peaceful and political dialogue because it is a question of the lives of Sudanese people who are suffering across the country from the consequences of the conflict”, he appealed, without mentioning whether he had spoken to the principal protagonists and leaders on the rival sides of the conflict.
In May, he appointed his national security advisor, Tut Gatluak to lead the dialogue on Sudan. Gatluak subsequently traveled to Port Sudan where he met and held talks with the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, General Abdel Al-Fattah Al Burhan and the members of his administration.
Upon his returned to Juba, Gatluak announced the commitment of the military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to dialogue for peaceful end of the conflict.
(ST)