The visit of President Salva Kiir who is also the chairman of the SPLM party to Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, which was slated for today (Tuesday), has been postponed because he instead traveled to South Africa.
The Wau visit has now been rescheduled for 3 July, Western Bahr el Ghazal SPLM State Secretary Viola Alexander Umili said.
“I think he may be traveling to South Africa so the visit has been pushed to the 3 July, that is the coming Monday,” she said. “He (Kiir) is visiting the other regional programs but he will come next Monday.”
Preparations were in high gear to receive President Kiir in Wau including the painting of a house in the military barracks to accommodate him and also the painting of the Council of Ministers building.
Relatedly, the Office of the President on Tuesday morning put out a statement saying that President Kiir left for South Africa on a working visit where he will meet President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations.
Speaking to journalists at Juba International Airport before Kiir’s departure, Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the leaders will also confer about the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, the crisis in Sudan, and regional issues.
“President Kiir and Ramaphosa will also discuss areas of cooperation between SPLM and the South African ruling ANC party,” he said. “During his stay, President Kiir will also meet with other key South African officials and business leaders to promote trade and investment between the two nations.”
According to Dr. Marial, South Sudan looks forward to bolstering its long-standing relationship with South Africa and enhancing collaborations toward achieving sustainable peace and development.