February 23rd 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has asked the country’s rival tribes, the Nuer and the Dinka, to reconcile and forgive one and other as he seek to bring together the country’s social fabric devastated by the war.
Kiir made the remarks during the swearing in ceremony of the country’s prominent opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny in Juba on Satuday.
“I am inviting the people of South Sudan to forgive one another. Particularly, I want to appeal to the Nuer and Dinka communities to forgive and reconcile with one another,” Kiir who also asked Machar for forgiveness said.
“I also appeal to the people of Equatoria, especially those who have experienced much of the devastation to forgive and reconcile,” he added.
The South Sudanese leader vowed to work together with Machar to make sure that the country which has been devastated by the six-year-old civil war return to normalcy. He said he forgive Machar and seeks the same from the man he described as “brother.”
“I want to reiterate here and now that I have forgiven my brother Dr. Riek Machar and I also ask for his forgiveness,” Kiir said.
For his part, main armed opposition leader Machar said he would work together with Kiir to achieve lasting peace saying he and his group, the SPLM-IO, were commitment to the full implementation of the revitalized peace agreement they both signed last year.
“It is our hope that the formation of the revitalized transitional government will create a new momentum and a new spirit of commitment and cooperation in the implementation process of the agreement in order to avoid the delays experienced during the pre-transitional period,” Machar said.
“I would like to reiterate my commitment and the commitment of the SPLM/A-IO to work closely with the peace partners and particularly President Kiir Mayardit to implement the agreement in letter and spirit. May God bless South Sudan,” he added.
