By William Madouk
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has yet again extended an olive branch to non-signatory to the 2018 revitalized peace deal to join peace, reconciliation and healing process, saying “there is enough for all to enjoy”.
Speaking on Thursday, during closure of the three-day conference on Transitional Justice Mechanism in Juba, President Kiir echoed his pardon to holdout groups, urging them to stop conflict and embrace peace.
“On this note, I want to repeat my call to brothers and sisters – the non-signatory to the peace agreement to join us in the journey of peace, reconciliation and healing,” Kiir said.
The head of state also cited that South Sudan, as a country, is having plentiful resources that they can all enjoy, adding that citizens want to see this senseless war brought to an end and leaders come together.
“This country is a great country and there is enough for all of us to enjoy. Our people need all of us,” he added.
Mr. Kiir noted that nobody could predict that South Sudanese would fight among themselves after hard earned independence, asserting that the world is now engulfed by war that kill millions and destroy cities.
“Today, when we watch TV screen around the world, fighting is all over; former colleagues and liberators are fiercely killing their own people and destroying their country with impunity,” he lamented.
“We in South Sudan have had our fair share of war, killing and destruction thus enough is enough,” he continued.
President Kiir stated that a huge challenge is still ahead and that is to rebuild the country, unite the people and provide basic services.
Meanwhile, the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, during the conference, reiterated the call on the holdout groups, urging them to boost efforts for workable peace by joining the reconciliation steered by the government.
Machar said the government would welcome the groups with open arms. “We would like them to participate in this conference. I hope the next three conferences we [will] have their attendance.”
He stated that most of the grievances and reform issues are addressed through conferences, and this would fit those with contrary ideologies, like the holdout groups.
Machar was optimistic that the upcoming Rome talks would yield fruit, with the hope of bringing back the holdout groups.
He noted that the group and the government did not reach any agreement in the last month, which explains the absence of the SSOMA faction from the conference.
In January 2020, the non-dignitaries to the 2018 Peace Agreement signed the Rome Declaration on the peace process in the Republic of South Sudan.
But till now, no success has been achieved to ensure that the group joins the RTGoNU in Juba.
The holdout groups, which were not part of the revitalized peace agreement, include the National Salvation Front, the South Sudan United Front, and the Real SPLM, among others.