South Sudan Peace Process: President Salva Kiir says he is fully committed to new deal
Updated 10:25, 09-Aug-2018
[]
02:30
South Sudan's president Salva Kiir says he's fully committed to the new peace deal. But the opposition has some reservations over the power-sharing arrangement. Still, for the sake of peace, they too have signed. CGTN's Patrick Oyet has more on that from Juba.
The peace deal signed in Khartoum will see the formation of a unity government under Salva Kiir. South Sudan will also have five Vice Presidents, including opposition leader Riek Machar. Parliament will be expanded to 550 members - up from 400. It will include members of all opposition groups.
SALVA KIIR PRESIDENT, SOUTH SUDAN "I believe that the agreement has been signed in an atmosphere that is not intimidated or whatever, so, it will hold, the agreement will hold."
But South Sudan's peace deals have failed in the past. Still, many residents here in Juba are hopeful that this one will stick.
DENG HAMAL JUBA RESIDENT "The young people here want peace, we need development, we need education, so, politicians should stop the war."
JOYCE MINDAA JUBA RESIDENT  "We want peace to come to South Sudan because people are suffering, roads are blocked, no money for paying school fees, food is not there, children can not study, their parents are in the camps, they can not even go to see their parents because the roads are blocked."
PATRICK OYET, JUBA SOUTH SUDAN  "The war has forced more than 2 hundred thousand South Sudanese people into internally displaced camps protected by the UN peacekeepers. More than 2.5 million South Sudanese nationals have become refugees in South Sudan's neighbouring countries. Patrick Oyet, CGTN, Juba, South Sudan."