South Sudan’s Kiir Urges Governors to Implement Peace Deal

December 21, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir has urged governors of the country’s states to work hard and ensure that the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement is implemented.

Kiir said this during a meeting he convened to brief the governors on the status of the revitalized peace agreement and the recent face to face meetings with the opposition leader, Riek Machar in Juba.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the press secretary to the presidency, Ateny Wek Ateny said Kiir urged all governors to work hard on the implementation of the peace accord.

He said Kiir and the main opposition leader agreed to form the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) by end of the extended pre-transitional period, regardless of the outstanding issues.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the governors, Chan Ali Malou said the 11 governors briefed the South Sudanese leader on the current situation in their respective states, adding that the people in their states requesting the president to stand on the 32 states issue.

Last month, President Kiir and the country’s main opposition leader 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)