Riek Machar and Salva Kiir Must Show Leadership

Published on 12th April 2016

The 1,370-strong force of rebel soldiers and police in South Sudan have completed their return to the capital Juba as part of a peace deal ahead of the expected arrival of their commander, Riek Machar. Riek Machar - named as vice-president in February - is due to arrive in Juba on April 18 to form a unity government with President Salva Kiir.

The new African nation descended into chaos in December 2013 when a political row between Kiir and his then-deputy Machar spiralled into a vicious armed conflict that saw tens of thousands killed, more than two million people displaced, South Sudan’s currency weaken, inflation skyrocket, and oil revenues drop.

The two men have signed peace deals that have broken down repeatedly due to bloated egos, interest groups and failure to have a progressive national vision. The entire continent hopes that they will this time show leadership to stop the suffering of the people in South Sudan and embark on nation building. The Republic of South Sudan stands to reap huge dividends from peaceful co-existence.


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