South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has promised that the recently agreed peace deal will not collapse.
He told reporters on Friday that he believes in the new deal and hopes it brings an end to the ongoing civil war.
President Kiir is expected to travel to Khartoum to sign the final agreement at a ceremony on Sunday.
His rival and former deputy Riek Machar who leads the SPLM-IO rebel group is also expected to attend.
Salva Kiir says the new deal will survive because it won’t be forced upon them like previous accords.
New deal
The new deal will provide for five vice presidents for South Sudan and protect a power sharing arrangement.
Per the deal former Vice-President Riek Machar is expected to return to his former position.
The transitional government would govern for three years.
The most recent deal was signed in 2015 but it did not help to end the conflict.
Kiir said “The 2015 (deal) was forced on us, we were not given the opportunity to express our desire. This is why when I came sign… I gave my reservations”.
“People didn’t take me seriously until the agreement collapsed in their face.”
“This agreement (2018) will not collapse and I am sure that it will not collapse because the people of South Sudan have now agreed that they must make peace among themselves,” he said.
The South Sudanese President also said that he was “going to sign,” the agreement. “The agreement is in place and we will remain committed … and will implement (it),” he said.
There have been series of talks between these rival factions hosted by Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.
Thousands of people have died in the 2013 civil war after troops loyal to the rebel Machar clashed with government troops.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 from north Sudan but fighting broke out two years later.
Source: Africafeeds.com
