South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has blamed Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) for the bifurcation of Sudan in 2011.
South Sudan voted unanimously for secession from the north in a weeklong referendum in 2011.The plebiscite marked the final phase of the 2005’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Addressing a crowd of citizens in Yei town on Tuesday, Kiir said had it not because of the NCP’s insistence to impose the Islamic sharia law in the country, South Sudan would have not separated from Sudan in 2011.
“The Sudanese government insisted on the implementation of the Islamic shariah law in the country, which forced us to separate. We would have remained in one Sudan,” said Kiir.
“But we would have faced difficulties in the power sharing, but when they refused to drop the Islamic law, we were given the option to break away and create our own country,” he added.
Kiir pointed out that the ruling party in Sudan failed to convince the people of South Sudanese to vote for Unity during the transitional period. He accused unnamed hardliners within the NCP party of making unity difficult for southerners.
Kiir called on the people of South Sudan to live in peace after they attained their independence in 2011.
File photo: Kiir addresses people in Yei town (Radio Tamazuj)