South Sudan’s Kiir says he is committed to peace, urges partners to do the same 

JUBA – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has on Saturday said that he is committed to the peaceful end of the country’s conflict, urging other signatories to the revitalized peace agreement to follow suit.

The South Sudanese head of state made the remarks in Juba on Saturday following the signing of the final Sudanese peace agreement between the ruling coalition and a consortium of rebel movements.

“I would like to assure you all that the SPLM and I are fully committed to an irreversible process of peace consolidation, resolution of differences through dialogue and the use of peaceful non-violent democratic means in political competition,” Kiir said.

“It is my hope that the opposition groups with whom we share the government as well as the holdout groups who will hopefully join in soon via the St. Egidio Rome process, also subscribe to this vision,” he added.

Kiir in September 2018 signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement with a number of opposition group including the SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

The agreement provides for a coalition government at the national government and sub-national levels of government. It also provides for the establishment of a professional national army with elements drown from teh rival forces.

However, the implementation of the agreement has been slow with state governments remaining not formed. The process of reunification of the army has also not been completed with reports that opposition forces lacking food are deserting cantonment and training centres.