S. Sudanese president to address nation over peace agreement
September 12, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir is due to address the nation on a range of issues, including the recent peace agreement, his office announced.
“The president of the republic, as you may have heard, will address the nation on Tuesday on very important issues. One of these important issues is peace. He will talk about the unity of our people, about reconciliation and how our people can work together with the government during the coming period”, he disclosed.
Lomuro, who heads South Sudan Democratic Forum (SSDF), said government would abandon the past and open a new page of forgiveness, reconciliation, unity and peaceful to resolve differences.
SSDF is one of the political parties that have allied with the South Sudanese government.
“It is our political stance as SSDF and I want to make it very clear for public consumption that we abhor tribal politics. We don’t support politics based on hatred and hateful campaign which tear a country apart and fail the nation. We don’t encourage this politics and we will not associate ourselves as South Sudan democratic forum with people who harbor such mentality,” said the minister.
“We are purely a national political party on the basis of which now we participates in the government because President Salva Kiir is considerate, humble, courageous and a peaceful loving person”, he added.
The South Sudanese leader signed the internationally backed and regional brokered peace deal on 26 August, raising hopes of a possible end to the 20-month old conflict.
Kiir said he accepted to sign the accord because he was faced with the option of either rejecting peace or accepting war to continue against the will of the South Sudanese.
Last week, president Kiir and the government negotiating team have briefed top military officers about the peace agreement recently signed with the armed opposition faction.
(ST)