By As a promising step to end the civil war in South Sudan, the country’s government and the rebels signed a cease-fire agreement that is looked at as will help stabilize the war torn country.
The agreement sees to the end of the almost five year old civil war that has seen to the death of thousands of people and millions displaced.
Meeting in Ethiopia at the South Sudan’s peace talks under IGAD, on Thursday, South Sudan’s government together with the rebel armed forces reached an understanding and signed a cease fire agreement, said to be effective right from Saturday.
Neither Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan, nor Riek Machar, the leader of the rebels’ group, attended the session in Ethiopia, as reported that they were not very needed. But they were represented by their right hand men.
‘The agreement pledges that all parties on Saturday will end hostilities, freeze military positions, and release prisoners of war, political detainees, and abducted women and children,’ reports explain.
African Union chairman Moussa Faki called the agreement “an encouraging first step” towards ending the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more from their homes.
The two sides also signed an agreement to grant humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas after days of talks in neighboring Ethiopia brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional bloc.
The cease fire agreement came immediately after the United States, Britain and Norway threatened to impose several sanctions on South Sudan, if they did not device means to end the worrying situation.
On Thursday, just after the agreement was signed, the three countries sent congratulating messages to South Sudan, appreciating both sides for choosing the right path and making the right decision that is to see the young country and its people have the peace they deserve and long yearned for.
South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, but a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former ally, Riek Machar, devolved into civil war two years later. A peace deal was signed in 2015, but it collapsed within a year as fighting broke out in capital city Juba, and then-first vice president Machar was forced into exile.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu