September 29th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit is reportedly set to lift the state of emergency imposed following the outbreak of the ongoing civil war in December 2013, a presidential aide told the Nyamilepedia on Saturday.
South Sudan government and opposition groups signed a peace deal in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa early this month to end the war.
A declaration of principles signed in Khartoum in June provided for the lifting of the state of emergency and the signing of a permanent ceasefire agreement across the country which came into force on July 1st.
Senior Presidential aide told the Nyamilepedia on Saturday that Kiir is set to announce the lifting of the state of emergency which has been a demand by the opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny but could not disclose when that would happen.
“The plan [to lift the state of emergency] is under way. But what I don’t know is when it will happen,” the official told the Nyamilepedia on the condition of anonymity.
Last week, Machar asked President Kiir to lift the state of emergency and to release prisoners of war and political detainees but Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, the deputy SPLM-IO National Committee for Information and Public Relations told the Nyamilepedia on Friday that Kiir did not responded to the question of the state of emergency but had promised to release the prisoners of war and political detainees.
Kiir on Thursday issued a Presidential Order releasing all the prisoners of war and political detainees: a development Manawa Peter Gatkuoth said is a good step towards full implementation of the peace agreement.
