Ethiopia Hails Milestone Agreement Between South Sudan Leaders

April 3, 2022

Ethiopia stands in solidarity with South Sudan and continues to stand ready to support efforts towards lasting peace and development, says Abiy Ahmed  

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo , Sudanese leader, hold hands with South Sudan’s leaders. (Photo : Via MFAE)

Borkena 

The rival leaders in South Sudan, President Salva Kirr, and Deputy President Reik Machar reached what is said to be a watershed agreement. 

The issue of military arrangement in the country was one of the matters that was stalling the implementation of the 2018 agreement between the two parties. Now it seems to be a thing of the past, as things stand now, as the two leaders on Sunday reached an agreement to have their armed forces under a single leadership. 

Based on the agreement, according to a report by France 24, President Salva Kiir’s side will constitute about 60 percent of positions in the army and security apparatus and Reik Machar’s side will constitute the remaining 40 percent in those positions.  

Representatives from both sides have given positive remarks about the deal, based on the report from France 24. 

Martin Abucha, Machar’s representative,  is quoted as saying “Peace is about security and today we have (achieved) a milestone.”

In a similar vein,  Barnaba Marial Benjamin who was representing Kirr described the agreement as a “necessary step… that opens a route for the stable government of the Republic of South Sudan.”

A power-sharing unity government was formed about two years ago. 

Ethiopia sees the new agreement, which was signed on Sunday, as a positive development. 

“We welcome today’s key agreement reached by President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar. Ethiopia stands in solidarity with South Sudan and continues to stand ready to support efforts towards lasting peace and development,” Ethiopian Prime Minister 

Abiy Ahmed wrote in a social media update. 

This week, Ethiopia’s Defence Minister, Abraham Abraham Belay led a delegation to South Sudan carrying a message from PM Abiy Ahmed. 

Ethiopia had been mediating the two sides for several years and much of the talks were in the capital Addis Ababa. 

But lately, it was neighbouring Sudan that was mediating the two parties. 

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who is believed to be the second most powerful man in the post of Omar al-Bashir Sudan,  was in Juba for three days as part of Sudan’s mediation efforts.