South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Wednesday granted a general amnesty to the country’s rebels.
The rebels led by their leader, Riek Machar fought government troops in a civil war that has lasted for years.
Granting amnesty to these rebels including Riek Machar is seen as a major step towards ending the civil war.
The amnesty order was read out on state-run television late on Wednesday. Last Sunday a peace deal aimed at ending the civil war was signed by the government and opposition rivals.
The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir was joined by the country’s main rebel group leader Riek Machar to sign the deal in Sudan.
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.
President Kiir said at the signing ceremony that he calls “on everyone as a leader of South Sudan that this agreement which we have signed today…. be the end of the war and the conflict in our country.”
“My government and I know the conflict in South Sudan has resulted in a financial and political burden,”
“We must accept that the internal war has no meaning and has imposed suffering on us and our families and has killed hundreds of our young men and women, destroyed our economy, and left us divided,” Kiir said.
Rebel leader Riek Machar also remarked that “today we celebrate, not just in South Sudan, but throughout the world.”
“there is no option but peace … we have to focus after this stage on implementing the agreement that if we don’t implement, we will all be failures.”
Thousands of people have died in the 2013 civil war after troops loyal to the rebel leader Machar clashed with government troops.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 from north Sudan but fighting broke out two years later.
Source: Africafeeds.com
