JUBA, S. Sudan, May 5 (NNN-SUNA) – The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), hailed Sunday, the consensus reached between the country’s warring parties, to extend the period by six months, to form a power-sharing government.
David Shearer, head of UNMISS, said, the unanimous decision to extend the pre-transitional period of a peace agreement, leading to the formation of a new, unified government is a sign of goodwill between the parties to end the suffering of the people.
“This united decision of the parties is important to reassure the people of South Sudan that peace agreement is still alive,” Shearer said.
“It is a step towards ending the suffering caused by the conflict and gives millions of displaced families the confidence to return home and rebuild their lives,” he added.
The South Sudanese government and the oppositions signed a peace agreement in Sept last year, aiming to stipulate a transitional government before a deadline on May 12.
The decision came after a two-day meeting in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, in which they reviewed the status of the pre-transitional tasks.
Shearer said the responsibility lies with the parties to live up to their commitments, noting that, key political leaders should meet regularly to ensure the agreement stays on track.
“However, this six-month extension gives the parties more time to achieve the benchmarks agreed upon and make peace a reality,” he added.
“The resulting ceasefire has also enabled government and opposition forces to build trust and confidence through the holding of over 100 peace meetings and rapprochements across the country, many of which were facilitated by UNMISS,” he said.
South Sudan descended into conflict in Dec, 2013, killing tens of thousands and displacing about four million others.
An earlier peace agreement, signed in 2015, collapsed after clashes erupted in July 2016, in Juba, forcing opposition leader, Riek Machar, to flee the capital.
Under the 2018 peace deal, Machar will be reinstated as President Salva Kiir’s deputy.– NNN-SUNA
