Abuja – Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that South Sudan’s misery will end soon in spite of the delay in the signing of the peace pact between the government and the rebel group.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osinbajo was among the world leaders that were in Addis Ababa to witness Monday’s peace summit where the country’s President Salva Kiir and leader of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) Riek Machar were to have signed the pact.
Osinbanjo told correspondents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that international mediators had achieved much so far to end the 20-month crisis in the four-year old country.
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“We have made great progress. I think that what happened today of course is great progress because the rebel group – the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), has signed up on the compromise agreement and the government of South Sudan has also initialised the document and will return in 15 days after consultations to finalise the document.
“I think that we should be justifiably proud of what has happened here today and excited that this might be the end of the misery that has taken hold of South Sudan in the past few months.
“This is very encouraging indeed. It is a great step forward.“
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South Sudan got independence from Sudan in 2011 and had lost tens of thousands of nationals after fighting broke out between the rebel group and the government in 2013 over power sharing.
The UN and AU had led a team of international mediators including the U.S., UK, EU, Norway, and China with leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia being at the Monday summit.
The mediators had threatened international sanctions if the warring groups failed to reach a compromise to end the crisis on Monday.
NAN reports that Osinbajo returned to the country on Tuesday. (NAN)