South Sudan president hopeful for peace in 2018

December 25, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir has expressed optimism about the prospect of ending the war in 2018, saying it was now his top priority to restore “peace and unity of the people and all efforts will be expended to realize it”.

In a Christmas message released Monday, President Kiir said he knows many families have been separated by the conflict in 2017, resulting in the families not able to spend Christmas together.

“It remains my prayer that you will soon be reunited in your homeland. As we usher in a new year, we are working firmly to ensure peace and economic stability, so that very soon you can return to your villages and homes to continue your lives as once were,” said president through a speech.

“We are all looking forward to peace and prosperity where we can all join hands in the development of our beloved nation,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader said it was his sincere hope that 2018 will indeed be the year where genuine and lasting peace is achieved.

“While it may seem that the journey is still long; I can assure you that great progress is being made. As we end one year and begin another, we must recommit ourselves to the course of peace and extend the hand of unity and friendship across all the divides,” he reassured.

The former rebel commander turned politician and became a president commended the resilience with which people despite unsurmountable continue to perseverance during t difficult time in the history.

“We have been faced with a multitude of challenges, including hostile elements –regionally and internationally – that have threatened to throw us into additional chaos,” Kiir said alluding to foreign interventions in the conflict.

Kiir said his government has started working on strategies to end the war. He cited the participation in the peace revitalization forum as a demonstration of commitment by the coalition government to end the war.

“Already in the spirit of peace, our negotiating team has recently been in Addis Ababa taking part in IGAD-led High-Level Revitalization Forum. As a government, we are attending the negotiations in good faith and with the expectations that we shall receive genuine peace. I trust that our partners are also negotiating in the same good faith, for the benefit of all citizens in South Sudan. The sooner we can come to the final and meaningful agreement, the sooner we can re-energize the implementation process, and get South Sudan back on the path of prosperity,” he said.

He said instability has been one of the major obstacles preventing people from returning home their respective areas and expressed hope to address it with the cessation of hostilities which contains provisions that allow protection of civilians and humanitarian access.

Kiir said that this positive first step will allow the government to focus on a final agreement on implementation of the peace agreement.

“Therefore, we can continue to move forward with nation-building, improving the economy, developing infrastructure and overall welfare of our people,” he said.

Observers and security analysts have expressed pessimism about the prospect of lasting peace, pointing to the lack of political will and questioned the ability of the monitoring body to verify, investigate and hold the parties accountable to a violation of the ceasefire.

(ST)