Off the wire
• Roundup: Ethiopia inaugurates Chinese-funded 1870MW hydropower project  • China's top economic planner highlights cutting excess capacity next year  • China should propel opening up, reforms amid uncertainties: report  • 1st LD Writethru: Indian-controlled Kashmir militant attack kills 3 troopers  • Spotlight: Ukraine moves to revive Chernobyl area as major solar farm  • 1st LD-Writethru-Xinhua Insight: China combats heavy smog with red alerts  • Thailand imposes harsh penalty on those take selfie with landing plane closely  • Kim in position for third win at China Ladies Golf Open  • Newly found Chinese half-pipe ski team expects podium finish at Beijing 2022  • Philippine shopping mall giant opens project in N China  
You are here: 　 Home

Peace monitor urges South Sudan leaders to make 2017 year of peace

Xinhua, December 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

The body overseeing South Sudan's peace process on Saturday called on the country's leaders to end violence and use the new year to steer peace and reconciliation among South Sudanese torn apart by three years of civil war.

Festus Mogae, Chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), told a JMEC meeting in the South Sudanese capital of Juba that all South Sudanese must use the season of Christmas to spread peace and embrace dialogue.

"As we approach Christmas, the message is one of 'peace and goodwill to all people' and that must be central in our message to all the people of South Sudan. We must all commit here and now to making 2017 a year of peaceful progress." Mogae said.

Mogae pledged to support an initiative for national dialogue called for by the country's president early this week.

He described the planned dialogue as a critical opportunity for national reconciliation in the war-torn African Country.

"I applaud the president's leadership in this matter and we, JMEC, will support the national dialogue in any way we can. The president has called for peace, unity, forgiveness and dialogue and this is undoubtedly a very good starting point for the New Year," he said.

South Sudan has been shattered by civil war which broke out in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional unity government in April, but was again devastated by fresh violence in early July.

Tens of thousands have been killed, with over two million displaced and another 4.6 million left severely food insecure since then. Endit