President Salva Kiir promised to ease the tense situation in South Sudan. The relations between the President and First Vice President Riek Machar have been steadily deteriorating since 2018 - the two politicians could not agree on how to implement some security arrangements during peace talks in 2018. These ended a 5-year-long conflict that consumed roughly 400,00 lives and caused 2.27 million people to seek asylum outside of South Sudan.
"There are challenges we need to confront honestly as a people and our partners to maintain total peace and bring prosperity to our people," said Kiir. "We all considered this agreement as the path to our stability and I am committed with our partners to implement it. I come before you today to affirm my government's commitment to peace in our country".
The opposition, led by the First Vice President, claims that Kiir hurdles the peace talks, especially in the context of security measures. He is often criticized for using violent actions to make his point. Before the peace talks, the governmental forces were reported to have surrounded Machar's home. The UN has repeatedly criticized South Sudan's leadership for stoking violence, cracking down on political freedoms and plundering public coffers.
Categories: Africa, Politics
Tags: South Sudan, Kiir, Machar
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