South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir said SPLA troops will flush out rebel forces from their stronghold in Pagak in Maiwut State if they do not want to join the government process to achieve peace in the country.

 In December last year, President Salva Kiir announced a plan to launch the national dialogue in an attempt to end the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

Speaking at a meeting with political leaders from Maiwut and Latjor states on Wednesday, Kiir urged the political leaders who are still loyal to his government to convince their people on the ground to lay down their arms or face the full force of the government.

“If you, the SPLM, have the influence in the area, you talk to all those who are now carrying arms so that they put down their guns and they join the process of the government so that there is peace,” said Kiir.

The South Sudanese leader further said there can only be peace if the SPLA-IO forces join the government’s peace initiative.

President Kiir claimed that peace is one of his government’s top priorities. However, he said: “If they [rebels] don’t stop, we will go in by force and we will fight them and we will flush them out. We don’t fear going to them now, they don’t have power.”

Photo: President Kiir/Gurtong