December 26th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit, and prominent opposition and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon on Tuesday appealed to the people of South Sudan to reconcile in statements to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas.
The two men, Kiir and Machar – under regional and international pressure – signed a peace deal in September in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end the war. The agreement in Addis Ababa followed months of intense negotiations among delegates of the government and opposition who must, by the time, sign a pact or face international or further regional isolation.
President Kiir, the Radio Tamazuj reported, said as South Sudan President, appealed to the people of South Sudan to reconcile among themselves.
”As your leader, I am calling for reconciliation among the people of South Sudan. We must return to each other and we must take full measures to overcome fears of seeking forgiveness,” Kiir said.
For his part, the SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar said he would like to see the people of South Sudan reconcile and open a new page among themselves and start the reconstruction process of the world’s youngest nation.
“I would like to take this opportunity as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to call on the people of South Sudan to begin a new page of reconciliation and forgiveness,” Machar said in his Christmas message.
Machar further admitted that the social fabric has been destroyed saying communities has been divided along ethnic lines.
“The fabric of our society has been destroyed and our communities divided along ethnic lines,” he said adding that “Let us work together to unite them and mend the fabric of our society as we remember the prince of peace, Jesus Christ.”
