October 31st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit early this month reportedly warned US ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft to stay away from South Sudan’s affairs.
This, a senior South Sudan official said, happened during this month’s visit to Juba by a high-level United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation where the world body’s powerful body met Kiir.
The official familiar with the matter told Nyamilepedia on Wednesday that Kiir made the warning as members of the UN delegation were leaving Kiir’s office for a meeting with opposition groups on the other site of the state house.
“He warn[ed] her that ‘Please stay away from our internal affairs’ and I think the president wanted to communicate a message to the American Administration,” the source told Nyamilepedia in Juba Wednesday.
“The message is that they can also be blamed just like the government is being blamed because they also played their part in the conflict,” the source added.
Kiir’s government signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement in September last year.
The implementation of that agreement is facing setbacks over misunderstanding between the parties to the agreement over how the outstanding issues can be resolved.
The UN delegation to which Craft was a leading member insisted that the opposition groups and the government must form the revitalized unity government by November 12.
Kiir welcomed that part but disagreed with an American version in which the world power threatened to impose sanctions if the parties failed to live up to their pledges of ensuring that the peace agreement is fully implemented.
The US also said they will not recognize any government formed with Machar few weeks after Kiir threatened to form the long-awaited unity government without the main armed opposition group.
Machar’s group has reiterated that they will not take part in the government unless vital tasks necessary for the government formation are served.
These include the unification of the rival forces to form a unified army, police and a national security service.
