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WORLD NEWS Friday 21 February 2020

South Sudan rival leaders agree to form coalition government

By MAURA AJAK his responsibility.
Associated Press "As for the other details
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — that we have yet to agree
South Sudan's rival leaders upon, we will continue to
on Thursday announced iron and negotiate them
they have agreed to form out," Kiir said.
a coalition government Another politically sensitive
just two days before the issue, the number of states,
deadline, a breakthrough appears to have been re-
after months of delays and solved after Kiir over the
a major step in the emer- weekend announced a
gence from a five-year "painful" compromise of 10
civil war that killed near- plus three administrative ar-
ly 400,000 people in the eas, down from 32.
world's youngest nation. The changes are for the
The rival leaders had twice sake of peace to prevail,
missed deadlines in the Kiir said Thursday. And he
past year to form the tran- called on the more than
sitional government that is 2 million people who fled
expected to lead to elec- South Sudan during the
tions in three years' time, conflict to finally come
much to the impatience home.
of the United States and South Sudan's civil war
others. Without that new broke out just two years
government, many feared, after the nation danced
South Sudan might slide in the streets to celebrate
into fighting again. a long-fought indepen-
Opposition leader Riek dence from Sudan. The In this Thursday, June 21, 2018 file photo, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, left, and opposition
Machar told reporters in conflict badly hurt the oil- leader Riek Machar shake hands during peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
the capital, Juba, he and rich nation's economy, and Associated Press
President Salva Kiir agreed roughly half the country's
that after the government's 12 million people are hun- South Sudan," the Interna- tion of the unity govern- ment. The deputy head of
formation they will resolve gry today. tional Rescue Committee's ment, faith in the country Sudan's Sovereign Council,
any outstanding issues laid The United States, which country director, Susan Pur- will be restored." Mohamed Hamdan Daga-
out in a September 2018 has applied sanctions and din, said this week, adding Some observers, including lo, said he appreciated the
peace deal. Machar said other pressure to get South that the South Sudanese peace deal guarantor Su- outcome of Kiir and Mach-
he is confident they will ad- Sudan's rival sides to make people deserve to live free dan, saw a sign of hope ar's meeting on resolving
dress them all. a lasting peace, quickly from fear. "With the forma- with Thursday's announce- the issues that remain.q
Kiir said the new govern- welcomed Thursday's an-
ment will be formed on Sat- nouncement.
urday and he will appoint Major challenges in the
Machar as his first vice peace process remain, in-
president, or top deputy, cluding the delicate pro-
on Friday. That arrange- cess of integrating tens of
ment has twice led to con- thousands of former rival
flict — once when the civil forces into a united army.
war erupted in late 2013 That process has been
and again in mid-2016 af- marked by delays, the
ter Machar returned to United Nations and oth-
the post under a previous ers have said, noting that
peace deal. He ended up some of the forces appear
fleeing the country on foot. to be poorly provisioned.
The president said security And widespread abuses
arrangements, one crucial such as the recruitment of
issue, will be resolved after child soldiers and sexual
the government's forma- violence continue, a new
tion. report by the U.N. Commis-
He said the protection of sion on Human Rights on
Machar and others with South Sudan said Thursday.
the opposition will be under "The world has forgotten