South Sudan president vows commitment to respecting peace deal

December 23, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government under the leadership of president Salva Kiir will do all it can to meet its commitments under a peace agreement with armed opposition faction of the governing Sudan People’ s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), led by former vice president, Riek Machar, the president said Wednesday.

“We will do everything to keep our commitments in the implementation of the peace agreement which we have signed with our brothers,” said president Kiir after meeting with representatives of the advance team of the SPLM-IO on Tuesday in Juba.

The South Sudanese peace agreement which the two sides signed in August, hammered out over 21 months of tough negotiations, aimed to bring a lasting peace to the destructive conflict in the country which erupted barely two years after gaining independence from neighbouring Sudan in 2011.

The deal was signed by the government under president Salva Kiir and armed group allied to the former vice president Riek Machar and the former political detainees as well as representatives of the civil society and faith based groups. However, political parties under the banner of the national alliance were unable to sign the deal due to infighting and have sought more talks to sort out differences.

The armed opposition faction has been calling for recognition and restructuring of the country based on a federal democratic state as well as pushing compensation by the government of those who have lost their properties.

Information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said in interview with journalists on Wednesday that the agreement already in place was “a new beginning and the government and president Kiir had committed itself to fully implement the deal in order to end the suffering of the people.”

“It’s an agreement that opens up new avenues for the country, for its reconstruction and for the country to return back to peace, stability, soothe and reconcile the people,” said Lueth.

The intention of the accord, he said, was to “rebuild and develop the country for each party to feel proud of belonging to” South Sudan.

The government’s spokesperson said he was “optimistic” other parties to the peace deal would equally commit themselves to its full implementation.

(ST)