Juba, South Sudan
January 4, 2021—South Sudan’s military junta, General. Salva Kiir Mayardit, who returned his fragile country to war over party leadership in December 2013 and July 2016, has promised once again not to return the country to war despite that the peace agreement he signed in September 2018 has expired without being implemented.
According to President Kiir, who spoke on the new year eve, he will not return the country to war again despite the challenges the country is currently facing.
In his new year message to the nation, president Kiir assures that the war is not among his future “plannings” notwithstanding all shortcomings in the implementation mechanism of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“Regardless of the challenges on our path to the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, I am assuring you again this year that I will not return you to war”, Kiir said in a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia.
He stressed that, the focus now in the beginning of the new year should be full implementation of the agreement so that free and transparent elections are held at the end of the transitional period.
” At this stage of peace implementation, our focus will remain on prioritizing the implementation of key provisions in the agreement to enable us to conduct elections in 2023″, he added.
According to Kiir, Elections are the endgame of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and as such it’s a reality that must be fulfilled.
Last month, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar, who doubles as Chairman of the SPLM-IO party said, there are four prerequisites to be done first for South Sudan to hold free, fair and credible elections by 2023; otherwise, the elections are not going to reflect the will of South Sudanese.
Machar, who is the most powerful opposition leader in the country, urged his peace partner to demonstrate a very strong political will so that the preconditions necessary for a peaceful democratic transition are fully achieved.
In response to Machar and Dr. Lam counterstatements, president Kiir reiterates his commitment to a democratic elections despite “being the president”.
