South Sudanese president promises to end war

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South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Thursday pledged to end the devastating war in his country as the warring factions continue with peace talks in neighboring Sudan.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of new foreign minister Nhial Deng Nhial in capital city Juba, Kiir said he is ready to sign the agreement to bring peace to South Sudan.

"People of South Sudan are looking for peace and if that arrangement can bring peace to the people of South Sudan, I'm ready to take it," Kiir said.

From left to right, South Sudan's opposition leader Riek Machar, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, pose for a group picture before their meeting in khartoum, Sudan, June 25, 2018. /VCG Photo

Sudan is continuing with mediation efforts led by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in a bid to find a political solution to the South Sudan conflict which is now in its fifth year.

The Sudanese mediation team on Tuesday extended the negotiations until Thursday after a section of the opposition rejected a revised power-sharing formula that called for the creation of five vice presidents' posts in the unity government.

The negotiators said the warring factions are expected to sign the revised deal on July 26.

Though Kiir expressed concerns about some provisions of the proposed power-sharing deal, he promised to agree to an inclusive unity government.

South Sudanese people wait for the arrival of their President at Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan, June 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

"South Sudan has become a field of experiments. Things that have never been done in any government and in any country are being tried in South Sudan whether they work or they will not work," Kiir said.

"People talk about inclusivity. Nobody is going to be left out of the government," the South Sudanese leader added.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates that about four million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency