South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Sunday reiterated his call on rebel groups to reciprocate the unilateral ceasefire he declared in May as part of his bid to end the ongoing civil war in the world’s youngest nation.

Kiir made the appeal while delivering his state of the nation address to mark the country’s 6th Independence anniversary.

Kiir also called on those who are taking up arms against his government to join the peace process in the country. “Our country is politically divided and we must find ways and means to unite our people and build one nation. Implementation of the peace agreement and the national dialogue are the only way forward,” Kiir said.

“Too many innocent lives have been lost in the struggle for liberation. We must honour their legacy by continuing to press forward, learn from our mistakes and join to rebuild South Sudan,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader said peace and security are very important for economic recovery. Kiir thanked the international partners, particularly Germany and Japan for supporting the national dialogue.

 “To demonstrate our commitment to the national dialogue process, the government has earmarked 2.4 billion South Sudanese Pounds from the Peace Fund for this crucial national project. I wish to use this occasion to acknowledge the leadership and members of the steering committee and the secretariat for accepting this challenging national duty,” he said.