“Even the mighty CPA was not fully implemented” – Kiir

JUBA – President Salva Kiir said Thursday that failure by the parties to the to the revitalized peace deal to fully implement the agreement should not be a much concern, saying that even the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was not fully implemented.

The president made the remarks at Freedom Hall in the capital Juba on Thursday where the parties who signed the revitalized peace agreement in 2018 decided to extend the transitional period for at least twenty-four months.

Kiir said all the parties to the revitalized peace agreement have agreed unanimously including First Vice President Machar to the extension of the transitional period because the share an intention to conduct peaceful elections in the world’s youngest country.

“While Article 8.4 says that two-thirds of the parties can amend the agreement, Riek Machar and others unanimously decided to extend the transition period. Our shared intention is to take you to a peaceful election,” he said.

Kiir said further said that the parties must be realistic in their implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and said that even the CPA was not fully implemented.

“While we want to implement the agreement entirely, we must be realistic. We did not even implement the mighty CPA fully, yet it remains a historic accomplishment that none will deny or reverse,” he said.

“Therefore, we have decided to prepare the soil over the next 24 months to plant the seeds of South Sudan’s elections with a unified army, visionary constitution, and firm understanding of our country upon which to build a government that can complete the war on poverty, ignorance, and hopelessness,” he added.