A South Sudanese minister has said people are tired of civil war and that the only justifiable one was the liberation war fought against the Khartoum government for over two decades.
“Any other war is not acceptable, has not justification and is politically naïve,” cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro said after the signing of a peace deal with a rebel group calling itself the Equatoria Non-Allied Forces (ENAF) in Yei town on 19 February.
Lomuro further said a transitional government of national unity will be formed in May, with a unified force that is national in character.
“Anything dubbed national will be disseminated. We are fed up of our people being the laughing stock of the whole world,” he said.
Lomuro urged South Sudanese citizens to unite behind peace.
“We have a government under one president who is the commander in chief of the unified force and wherever there is rebellion, we will refer to the constitution to defend our country and protect our civilians,” said Lomuro.
The minister said doors were still open for dialogues and negotiations, prior to the formation of the unity government.
“If you leave yourself out until we form the government of national unity, then you will officially be declared an enemy in South Sudan against peace and you will be a state traitor. We will hunt for you by the constitution, which is even acceptable in UN books,” he stressed.
In September last year, South Sudan’s warring factions signed a revitalized peace agreement to end the country’s civil war. The revitalized peace accord stipulates that there shall be a transitional government formed after eight months of the pre-transitional period.