Juba, South Sudan
July 8, 2022 — South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit said on Thursday that he will convene a presidency meeting with his first deputy, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, who doubles as head of the main opposition group SPLM-IO to set a time line for the graduation of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) which has been delayed.
According to the Revitalized Agreement, the Unified Forces are supposed to be graduated before the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) to protect important towns and VIPs; however, that never happens and there is doubt that it will happen anytime soon.
Speaking during a catholic mass prayer at Dr. John Garang De Mabior Mausoleum in Juba on Thursday, President Kiir asked the Secretary of Vetican State to convey his message to the Pope and that is he is implementing the agreement and will soon convene a meeting of the presidency to set a date for the graduation of the unified forces
“For the peace agreement, we are implementing it and very soon we are going to have a presidency meeting and in that presidency meeting, we will fix the day for the graduation of the unified forces that are in the training centers,” he said.
Kiir said despite his tireless efforts to ensure lasting peace in the country, he accused unnamed elements of pulling him down to derail his efforts to achieve peace in the war-torn country.
“I always say that when you go forward and somebody is pulling you from behind, you cannot reach even five meters you cannot cross. We are implementing the agreement and there people who are not allowing us to go smoothly. They intent to derail us from the road that we have taken,” he said.
President Kiir wants the Pope to know that he is doing something that has never been done before but he is committed to see it done but how and when remains in question.
“So, Your Imminence if the Holy Father ask you about the implementation of the peace agreement, tell him that the agreement is being implemented but with difficulties. It is with difficulties because this sort of agreement has not been made before in any country in our region,” he told visiting Vatican Secretary of State.
“But we have accepted to implement it because if I was not for peace, I would have not accepted it. I would have not accepted it because in the countries around us or in the countries in Africa, there is not country with five vice presidents,” President Kiir promised.
