S. Sudan’s Kiir, Kenyan envoy discuss peace deal implementation

December 3, 2019 (JUBA) – The Kenyan special envoy to South Sudan, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka on Tuesday paid a courtesy to South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir at state house.

Speaking to reporters in Juba, the executive director in the office of the president, James Deng Wal said Kiir and the Kenyan diplomat discussed outstanding issues in the peace agreement, especially regarding the security arrangements.

Kalonzo, on his part, said Kenya is ready to support the implementation of the peace deal and the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity early next year.

The Kenyan opposition leader was appointed special envoy to monitor peace in the Republic of South Sudan last July.

Kalonzo’s appointment, the Kenyan government said then, showed its commitment towards shared prosperity in the region, in general, and to the pursuit of lasting peace and security in South Sudan through the acceleration of the implementation of the Revitalised-Agreement on Conflict Resolution in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

Early last month, President Kiir and the country’s 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.

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)