Ethiopia will remain committed to supporting stability and peace in South Sudan, said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after discussions with the leaders of the neighboring country.
The discussions were held in South Sudan’s capital where PM Abiy and his delegation made a one-day official working visit on Monday.
President Salva Kiir welcomed Prime Minister Abiy and his team in an official ceremony upon their arrival in Juba. The two leaders held a meeting on bilateral relations, regional issues, and the progress of the Peace Agreement.
Abiy also held a sideline meeting with South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar to discuss challenges hindering the implementation of the Peace Agreement.
“I appreciate President Salva Kiir for the hospitality accorded to me and my delegation during our visit to Juba,” Prime Minister Abiy said in a tweet.
“In my meetings with President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, I shared Ethiopia’s commitment to supporting stability and peace in South Sudan,” the PM added.
South Sudan Government forces loyal to Kiir and opposition forces that back Machar signed a deal in 2018 that committed the two sides to share power and forming a unified national military. But the implementation of the agreement has been slow.
Last August, South Sudan graduated the first batch of unified national armed forces involving 20,000 new troops from former rival groups. In the same month, however, the nation delayed elections originally slated for 2022 by two years.
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