South Sudan’s foreign minister has again said his government is committed to the implementation of the peace agreement signed last August between rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar and the Juba government led by President Salva Kiir.
This came as South Sudan announced on Monday that its forces have begun withdrawing from the capital in line with an August 26 agreement.
But Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin has said now is the time for the international community to make good on its promise to provide the necessary logistical support for the implementation of the peace agreement.
“As you know, when our president, Salva Kiir Mayardit signed on the 26th August the agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan and we immediately declared a permanent cease-fire and as soon after that instructed the army commanders to start the relocation of SPLA troops to 25 kilometres. And today of course the process started to move government troops to the located area,” he said.
Benjamin said the South Sudan government will continue to do what it must do to show South Sudanese and the international community that the peace process must be implemented.
The August 26 peace deal calls for a 30-month transitional period with both the rebels and government sharing power, followed by elections perhaps in 2018. Benjamin said the Juba government is expecting members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition led by former Vice President Machar to send their advance team to Juba.
The agreement calls for the withdrawal of all military forces within 15 miles of the Juba within 90 days from August 26, and that deadline comes this week.
Benjamin said any delay in meeting the deadline should be blamed on the rebels and the regional group IGAD.
