Former President of Botswana Festus Mogae has pledged to support General Salva Kiir’s National Dialogue “in any way we can.”
Mogae is chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) that monitors South Sudan’s August 2015 peace deal.
He said in a press release,“The President has seized a critical opportunity for national reconciliation; he has appealed for a spirit of forgiveness and togetherness; and he has set in motion a campaign to address the concerns and grievances of the South Sudanese people.”
“I applaud the President’s leadership in this matter and we, JMEC, will support the National Dialogue in any way we can. The President has called for peace, unity, forgiveness and dialogue and this is undoubtedly a very good starting point for the New Year.”
A number of South Sudanese factions and other stakeholders have expressed reservations about participating in Kiir’s new initiative.