South Sudan’s Kiir Urges Hold-out Groups to Pursue Dialogue

South Sudan president Salva Kiir at the closure of the SSPDF command council conference, December 15, 2022 (PPU)

December 15, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Thursday urged those who took up arms against government to pursue dialogue.

He made the remarks during the closure of the 8th Command Council Conference of South Sudan people’s Defense Force (SSPDF) under the theme, “SSPDF building trust, understanding and implementing the transitional security arrangement”.

The conference discussed progress in the security arrangement implementation.

“To some of our brothers who are still in the bush, come back home and join the Government so that we can bring a sustainable peace in our country. I urge you to put down your guns and resume dialogue on peace,” said Kiir.

The South Sudanese leader urged the organised forces to execute their orders including the encouragement of positive international investment in the country.

“Let us all avoid going back to war, we are citizens of this country, all of us have a right to live and avoid senseless war. You must stop war since war is destructive, but peace brings foreign investors in the country,” Kiir explained.

He added, “We need development, schools, hospitals and roads in the country”.

In August, parties to South Sudan revitalized peace agreement announced a roadmap for the two-year extension of the post-civil war transitional period. The end of the transitional period was scheduled for 2022 after several postponements, but was pushed back to February 2023 due to the lack of progress on many provisions of the country’s peace accord.

Kiir said at the closure of the council meeting that the agreement on the extension of the roadmap for an additional 24 months was reached “so that we can accomplish outstanding tasks in the implementation of the peace agreement. We do not want people to descend into war during elections.”

He further promised to review all the resolutions and recommendations made during the command council before approval and consideration.

Meanwhile, the National Security minister, Gen. Obutu Mamur Mete urged the national army to shun dirty politics and embrace the spirt of nationalism.

“You are not an army of individuals; you are an army of the Republic of South Sudan and a symbol of our flag. And as an army, we need your protection to defend our sovereign territory, and to protect our President and the people of South Sudan,” he stressed.

The SSPDF, formerly the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a key participant of the second civil war led by John Garang.

As of 2010, the SPLA was reportedly divided into divisions of 10,000–14,000 soldiers.

(ST)