South Sudan welcomes Sudan's appointment of special peace envoy

JUBA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Thursday welcomed with optimism Sudan's appointment of Jamal El-Sheikh as special envoy on the South Sudan peace process, saying the former envoy to Juba is familiar with the politics in the country.

Ateny Wek Ateny, presidential spokesman, said El-Sheikh is well versed with the various political players both in government and rebel groups which will help positively implement the peace deal signed recently between the warring parties.

"It is positive appointment that will help in implementation of the agreement because this person has been in South Sudan for some time and he knows well the leaders in government and opposition groups," Ateny told Xinhua in Juba.

President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-in opposition (SPLM/A-IO), and other opposition groups signed the peace deal mediated by Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir under auspices of the East African bloc, IGAD, to end more than four years of conflict.

Puok Both Baluang, deputy director of information and public relations of SPLM/A-IO, also expressed optimism on the special peace envoy's appointment and promised they will work with him to implement the peace agreement.

Edmund Yakani, director of the Community Empowerment for Progress organization (CEPO), a local advocacy group also said El-Sheikh is the right person in the right position but with hard task to deliver.

"Sudan has to take influential obligation in ensuring that revitalized agreement implementation is done in genuine manner since it is already fragile with political splits among the opposition and deficit in trust and confidence among the signatories," he said, adding that peaceful and stable South Sudan is of great benefit to Sudan.

Yakani urged the new special envoy to consider establishing office in Juba for regular follow-up on the revitalized agreement implementation and immediately join hands with IGAD special envoy to South Sudan Ismail Wais to ensure concrete implementation of the peace deal.

"CEPO is urging El-Sheikh to support our call for creation of initiative for trust and confidence building among the parties signatory to the peace agreement and South Sudan communities under his office, since the revitalized peace agreement failed to institutionalize the building of trust and confidence," he said further.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. Enditem