South Sudan Leaders Agree to Unity Government by Mid-February

Salva Kiir and Riek Machar sit after their meeting in Juba, South Sudan, on Dec. 16.  Photographer: Majak Kuany/AFP via Getty Images

South Sudan’s president and ex-rebel leader agreed to form a unity government by mid-February, when a 100-day extension to a peace agreement expires.

President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar have been in talks in the capital, Juba, for the past eight days discussing how to resolve outstanding issues to end six years of violence in the nation with sub-Saharan Africa’s third biggest crude reserves.

“We agreed that after 100 days, we have to form the government,” Kiir told reporters. “If there are things that are not done, we will work on them so that they are implemented.”

Remaining hurdles included the number of states and boundaries, and security arrangements during a 36-month transitional period.

A power-sharing government was meant to be in place by last month as part of a peace pact to usher the country into democratic elections and development. The world’s youngest country has been mired since late 2013 in a conflict that’s claimed almost 400,000 lives, forced 4 million others from their homes and caused an economic crisis.