South Sudan President: 'Let Us Focus Now on the Future of Our Country'

 

South Sudan President Salva Kiir called his peace treaty partners to focus on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, holding the western countries responsible for the failure of not providing the financial support needed.

Kiir told hundreds of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) members in Juba that the peace treaty faced many challenges, largely because of the international community's wait-and-see stance on its implementation.

"If America has refused to recognize the agreement, the other European countries and Western countries will not pay their money, so everybody has adopted the position of 'wait and see,' because they think we will fight as soon as the opposition comes in.”

Last year, Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar, signed the Khartoum peace accord in Sudan, pledging to silence guns and end the conflict that has tormented South Sudan since December 2013. Kiir urged SPLM party members to accept one another and speak the language of peace for the sake of all South Sudanese.

“Let us focus now on the future of our country. We will do this through peace implementation, sending out positive and reconciliation messages aimed at repairing our social fabric,” Kiir asserted.

In related news, the government of Japan donated $1 million to National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) tasked with the oversight and coordination of the implementation of the activities of the pre-transitional period.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Japan Ambassador to South Sudan, Seiji Okada, NPTC Chairperson, Tut Kew Gatluak, Secretary Martin Elia Lomuro, and the Special Envoy of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Ambassador Ismail Wais.

Secretary Martin Elia Lomuro expressed the government’s gratitude for Japan’s support asserting that the donation will be deposited in a bank account for the execution of the peace treaty.

Okada indicated that Japan will engage in the nation-building of South Sudan and is currently involved in supporting capacity building, humanitarian aid, and infrastructural development.

“Japan appreciates IGAD’s efforts in the leading peace process in South Sudan and will continue to work closely with IGAD.”

Member of SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, indicated that it is unlikely to form a transitional government without implementing the pre-transitional provisions of the peace-building agreement.

Pierino warned that forming the government should not be hasty which will put the treaty in face of great challenges. He stressed that the provisions relating to security arrangements are of the most important pre-transition concerns that must be resolved before the formation of the transitional government.

The party official stated that parties are still discussing the issues of the constitution, the formation of the national army and the demarcation of the borders of the states, asserting his movement refused amendments suggested for the transitional constitution.

“We have refused to make the amendments in the constitution, so it is unlikely to form a transitional government in May before these issues are resolved.”

Opposition top official noted that the amendments to the draft did not reflect the spirit and provisions of the peace agreement. He added that the government plans to maintain the current system without making any changes for the 36-month interim period as stipulated in the agreement.

Pierino called on IGAD to make amendments to the constitution or withdraw fully as guarantor of this agreement.