UNSC to support South Sudan peace agreement

JUBA, South Sudan

United Nations Security Council, led by South Africa and the United States, has said that they are committed to support South Sudan peace implementation.

Amb. Jerry Matthews Matjila from South Africa said that UNSC is fully committed to support South Sudan in implementation of peace agreement.

“If we don't use this time to implement peace agreement, it will take time to do so. We are not here just for round up but we are here to provide support peace implementation," Amb. Jerry Matthews said Saturday while meeting South Sudan warring party’s signatories to peace agreement.

He urged South Sudanese leaders to resolve all the outstanding issues and speak language of peace, and he also urged all the leaders to take care of their people by compromising each other.

"What [opposition leader Riek] Machar wants is not impossible but we need political leaders who can compromise,” he said.

U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said they are not happy with Machar's demands.

"We are not happy with Machar's statement that peace will be jeopardized if his security arrangement and number of issues are not resolved but we are happy with president's commitment to form peace next month,” Craft said.

“As leaders, it is your responsibility to lift up those you serve and realize the hopes of your people. Now it is time to recommit to the ceasefire agreement and a nonviolent future. Now is the time to move closer to full implementation of the peace agreement. Now is the time to make compromises necessary to form a credible transitional government. We call for your commitment that South Sudan will not return to war,” the U.S. ambassador said.

Opposition leader Riek Machar said that he will not be part of government if security is not completed.

“If there will be no government on the 12th (November), which there will be no government, we, the IO, won’t be there because we do not want to put the country into crisis. We will opt and contain the troops. None of the troops is going to be left out,” Machar said in a meeting with UNSC on Sunday in Juba.

He said the critical issues must be resolved, the security arrangements must be in place at least and the ceasefire which they have been enjoying for this whole year will be raptured as peace is tired of suffering.

“This morning [South Sudan President Salva] Kiir and I met the security sector but what we found out was that what is on ground can't be completed within 3 months. Security arrangements today and by the 12th November we will not have single army. We compromise in Addis to get half of 83,000 soldiers tried but this is hard,” Machar said.

“IDPs will not come back if they don't see the new army, national police. It is now more than a year since we signed the agreement. They are aware there is peace but without security there is no peace. This morning when we were briefed I said we need to extend," Machar said.

"Suppose we form the government on November 12, the ceasefire that we have been enjoying will rapture. Those who have been fighting and have shed their blood will not be part of the government,” he said.

“As president Salva has threatened to form the government on the 12th, we have a volatile situation that we want to control. We want this time peace. If we will not be there, our colleagues do not blame us because we have a volatile situation we want to control,” Machar added.

Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said that government is ready to form transitional government on Nov.12.