South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar on Thursday announced they have agreed to form a coalition government just two days before the Saturday deadline, quashing fears that the deadline would be pushed again. The deadline has twice been elapsed without an agreement between the two sides in the past year.
“We had a meeting with the president on the outstanding issues. We have agreed to form the government on 22 Feb,” Machar said, reported Reuters.
The rebel leader told reporters in Juba on Thursday that they have decided to work on resolving any outstanding issues laid out in a September 2018 peace deal after the formation of the government. He said he is confident that they will together address all the pending issues including integration of forces, reorganizing political parties, and transitional justice.
Kiir also confirmed reaching an agreement. He added that the new government will be formed on Saturday and he will appoint Machar as the first vice president on Friday.
“We have agreed to form the government,” Kiir said after the meeting.
The South Sudanese president said security arrangements, one of the crucial issues, will be resolved after the government’s formation. He said Machar’s protection, as well as the protection of others with the opposition will be his responsibility.
“As for the other details that we have yet to agree upon, we will continue to iron and negotiate them out,” Kiir said.
The issue of the number of states has been already resolved after Kiir over the weekend announced a compromise of 10 plus three administrative areas, down from 32.
Kiir went on to appeal all the people who fled South Sudan during the conflict to return back home.
The peace deal is a major step in getting the country out of a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.
