U.S. envoy urges regular meetings of South Sudan leaders
November 19, 2019 (JUBA) – The United States ambassador to South Sudan, Thomas J. Hushek has urged South Sudan’s rival leaders to hold regular face-to-face meetings as part of their commitment to implement the revitalized peace agreement.
Hushek, while appearing on the United Nations-sponsored radio, also urged the country’s leaders to establish the habit of collaborative governance.
“They need to be building the habits of collaborative governance so that when they are all in Juba in a unity government they need to be in the habit of meeting daily, weekly, discussing issues, not trying to beat out the other faction, but to govern in a collaborative way,” he stressed.
On November 7, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar agreed to delay key benchmarks in the peace agreement by 100 days.
The delay in forming a national unity government on November 12 came after Machar’s group raised concerns that the country’s security arrangements are still incomplete.
The U.S said it was “frustrated” by South Sudan’s rival leaders for failing to form a unity government as scheduled, casting doubts on their ability to lead the country’s peace process.
Last week, the US, through its aid arm (USAID) provided $92.5 million in humanitarian assistance for people affected by the ongoing conflict and food insecurity in South Sudan.
The donation, it said in a statement, brought the US humanitarian assistance to the people of South Sudan to nearly $4.68 billion since its war began in December 2013.
South Sudan descended into civil war in mid-December 2013 when President Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup, allegations the latter dismissed.
In September last year, the country’s rival factions signed a revitalized peace deal to end the civil war that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
(ST)