South Sudan’s leaders must deliver a lasting peace, said a joint statement issued by Norway, the United States and United Kingdom.
The statement is intended to increase pressure on South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and the opposition leader, Riek Machar. The two should have agreed on a unity government by November 12 but the deadline was pushed back by 100 days.
The three countries reminded the two leaders that they have less than six weeks before the deadline expires and a clear obligation to their citizens to deliver a lasting peace.
“We ask all parties to show that they have the political will to deliver peace. The people of South Sudan deserve a government that respects human rights and leaders who make the necessary compromises for the good of the country,” the statement added.
Kiir and Machar still disagree on several issues, particularly regarding security and the number of states.
Norway, the UK and the US assisted in the peace agreement between South Sudan and Sudan as well as the establishment of South Sudan as an independent country in 2011.
In 2013, civil war broke out between the forces of Kiir and Machar, Kiir’s vice president. The war has cost up to 400,000 people, while millions have fled.
In September 2018, the two signed a power-sharing agreement.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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