Kiir vows to improve efforts to reduce poverty

JUBA — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has vowed to ramp up efforts to tackle the country’s poverty.

Kiir made this promise upon his arrival following his six-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates.

“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) trip marks further step in President Kiir’s mission to tackle as government of South Sudan primary domestic policy agenda now that the peace agreement has delivered relative peace to the country,” said a statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

“As President Kiir explained in his presentation to the SPLM leadership retreat at Lobonok Village in 2018, South Sudans’ fourth phase of liberation is to achieve freedom from hunger, disease, ignorance and material want,” it added.

The statement said the Poverty is the crippling beast that makes youth to take up arm against each other.

“Poverty is the crippling beast that makes youth to take arm against their bothers and sisters. Wining this war on poverty means creating conditions where every man, woman and child is free to explore their full potential,” it said.

It said that President Kiir returned from UAE is a remainder to his people that he is agents of economic and social transformation.

“The UAE provides an inspiring example of how effective management of natural resources in the national interest can catalyze development from within, building upon country’s cultural foundations,” it said.

“The President encourages all South Sudanese to adopt a development mindset which starts with appreciating our diverse natural and human resources,” it explained.

It stated that South Sudanese can transform material situation to abundance.

“President Kiir will engage countries worldwide to bring investments to help South Sudanese emerge from war into sustained, broad-based and inclusion economic growth,” the statement stated.

“The President want to make it clear to his government and the South Sudanese business community that success in his phase of the liberation requires us to build conditions within South Sudan that do not currently exist,” it added.