A South Sudanese political figure from the Equatoria region has called on the country’s president Salva Kiir to resign from his position, saying South Sudan is worse off now more than before.

Clement Janda Guya, who is also a renowned religious leader, appealed to President Kiir in an open letter to step down.

“As we are all aware you have been our leader for 13 years, since July 2005. As it is very clear the country is worse off now than when you started it, there is no chance of the Country getting better than it descending deeper and deeper into the pit. For this reason, I am appealing to your Christian conscience to do what brave leaders do just like President Zuma of South Africa did and the Ethiopian Prime Minister,” Canon Clement Janda wrote in the open letter dated 20 February.

Janda urged Kiir not to listen to cabinet ministers like the national minister of information Michael Makuei and cabinet affairs minister Elia Lomuro, saying they would never tell him the truth even if the opposite is true.

“I appeal to you not to listen to the like of Michael Makuei and Martin Lomuro who would rather tell you “things are well’ when in fact nothing is going right,” he said.

Janda, who is a former legislator in Juba, said President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar have never enjoyed a cordial relationship right from the beginning. “So no miracles will happen to allow you share power with him. So both of you must give South Sudanese a chance to move on without both of you,” he said.

He advised Kiir to allow a person of his choice to succeed him.