Rivals Riek Machar (L) and President Salva Kiir
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN Security Council has urged South Sudan President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar to make “immediate progress” in forming a unity government.
The two rivals have a deadline of Nov 12, 2019 to form the government, although Machar has already asked for a six-month extension.
In a statement, the UN Security Council said it was concerned that there was no “substantive progress on implementation of key elements” of a peace agreement signed last year to end a civil conflict between forces loyal to the two leaders.
A statement read by the UK’s Jonathan Allen urged Kiir and Machar “to make immediate progress on pre-transitional tasks including security arrangements and a process for the resolution of the number and boundaries of states”.
The two leaders were also told to “publicly reaffirm commitment to full implementation of the peace agreement”.
The pair are set to meet for talks in the Ugandan capital Kampala later on Thursday. — NNN-AGENCIES
