January 30th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A South Sudan church leader has urged the country’s holdout opposition groups to join the ongoing peace process saying there is no any concrete reason for them to still carry arms.
South Sudan government and opposition groups including the main armed opposition group led by Dr. Riek Machar Teny signed in September last year a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Some opposition groups such as the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo declined to sign the peace agreement accusing the regional mediation of bias after a demand by Cirilo and some opposition groups including People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) led by Dr. Hakim Dario to introduce federalism in South Sudan was rejected.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Wednesday, the head of South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Churches, Rev. James Par Tap, said people who are still caring arms including Gen. Cirilo have no concrete reason to continue waging war against the government.
“Some people are still carrying arms. Thomas Cirilo is one of them and others in different parts of South Sudan. There is no any reason for people to continue waging war when the President and Riek Machar have accepted to sign peace,” he told the Nyamilepedia.
He urged the holdout opposition groups who are still fighting the government to return home and join the government and other opposition groups in implementing the peace agreement.
“I want them to come and joint Riek Machar and Salva Kiir in implementing the agreement. South Sudanese are tired of war and that’s why those caring weapons should return home and join peace,” Par who maintains that there is commitment from all sides of the agreement said.
