China optimistic revitalized peace deal will hold in South Sudan: diplomat

JUBA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan He Xiangdong has voiced optimism that the recently signed Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) will hold, and vows continued support towards its implementation.

He said China remains hopeful that the peace agreement signed on Sept. 12 between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar in the Ethiopian capital will pave way for genuine peace.

He made the remarks Tuesday in Juba after he signed the document as one of the international community witnesses and guarantors of the peace agreement.

China has been a very active supporter to the peace process in South Sudan working alongside the United States, Britain and Norway and countries of the east African regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which mediated the peace process.

"I hope and would say that I am confident with the support of the international community, regional countries and with the support of South Sudanese, the peace process will move forward and implementation of the R-ARCSS will be a very successful one," said He.

"I would like to say that China's government and people will continue to do our best to support the peace process along with IGAD countries, African leaders, African countries and the international community," he added.

Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, lauded China for unwaveringly supporting the peace process that left the international community anxious due to the fact the process was slow and several peace deals agreed upon in the past collapsed.

"From the very beginning and starting from 2015, China was always ready to support the peace process and this we witnessed as IGAD countries," said Wais.

He said they have made progress on peace implementation due to the fact that all key committees charged with monitoring the peace agreement have been reconstituted and all will operate within South Sudan unlike previously when some bodies operated outside the country.

Wais said the reconstituted peace monitoring bodies include the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, Joint Military Ceasefire Commission, National Constitutional Amendment Committee, and National Pre-Transitional Committee.

"The most important thing is that all these committees decided to implement this project and this agreement from and within Juba. No more meetings outside and also it shows the trust and confidence between these parties on this agreement and to one another," he said.

The envoy added that members of the key Technical Border Commission comprised of experts from IGAD and international community have already started to arrive in the capital.

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

A peace agreement signed in 2015 to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital, Juba, forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The United Nations estimates that about four million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

President Salva Kiir, his former deputy Machar and several opposition groups in September signed a new power-sharing deal aimed at ending the five-year old conflict.