Juba, South Sudan
August 3, 2022 — South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit calls on non-signatory parties to the peace agreement to come to table to dialogue saying it will be an honor to men and women who died liberating the country.
President Kiir made this comment on Saturday to mark a private commemoration of the Martyrs’ Day.
In a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia, president Kiir paid tribute to martyrs, veterans of the liberation struggle, widows, orphans and organized forces for their sacrifice to the country.
“… In honour of the martyrs, let us devote our energies to achieving total peace and stability. By doing so, we will assure that our martyrs are honoured for eternity,” reads the statement.
In response to the SSPM/A activities in Unity State, which have killed scores including the Commissioner of Mayom County and a high ranking officer, president Kiir, who was in Uganda for regional conference made a written appeal to the armed holdout group to accept peace as the only way to rapid development.
“Let us embrace dialogue as the tool for resolving our differences, because it is the surest way to achieving peace and rapid development,” said president in a statement.
“On this note, I call upon our brothers and sisters in Holdout Groups to accept dialogue as a way of honuoring those gave their lives for our country,” the statement added.
Kiir’ administration has been negotiating peace with holdout groups who declined to be part of the 2018 peace agreement signed in Khartoum but little beyond shaky ceasefire has been achieved since 2019.
The initiative of peace talks, facilitated by Roman-based Sant’ Egidio community, aims to bring onboard the group known as South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) to end violence and join the peace process in the country; however, the talks are being frustrated by lack of political will from the partners.
