South Sudan’s Kiir, Machar agree to form unity government
December 17, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and the main opposition leader have agreed to form the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) by end of the extended 100 days of pre-transitional period, regardless of the outstanding issues.
Speaking to reporters in Juba on Tuesday, Kiir said he and his arch rival on Tuesday agreed to speed-up the implementation of the security arrangements and establish humanitarian fund to assist the internally displaced persons and the refugees returning voluntarily.
“We said that after 100 days we must form the government of national unity. If the arrangements are not complete, we shall form a transitional government of national unity to implement the outstanding issues,” said Kiir.
“The ceasefire will continue to hold and no one from us is willing to go back to war,” he added.
On his part, however, Machar said they have agreed to fast track the implementation of the security arrangements by moving the forces to the cantonment sites, training and forming a unified army.
The meeting, he told reporters, mainly discussed the security arrangements, funding of the activities of the implementation of the outstanding critical tasks enshrined in the revitalized peace agreement, number of states and their boundaries, engaging of the non-signatories group to peace deal and creating political space.
According to the armed opposition leader, the issue of the states and their boundaries remains pending, but remained optimistic that the matter would be resolved before expiry of the 100 days period.
“The formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) depends on the progress of the implementation of the outstanding critical issues in the context of the 100 days of the pre-transitional period,” he stressed.
Last month, President Salva Kiir and the country’s main opposition leader Riek Machar agreed to delay key benchmarks in the revitalized peace agreement by additional 100 days.
The delay in forming a transitional national unity government on November 12, 2019 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 denied.
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)