Washington, DC – “IRI is encouraged by the commencement of peace talks between representatives of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the hopes this will bring a swift end to the ongoing violence. The people of South Sudan have endured too many years of conflict and sacrificed far too much for their country to plunge back into turmoil. Now is the time for South Sudan’s leaders to rein in armed groups under their control, immediately cease attacks on civilians and end the chain of retributive violence between different ethnic and political groups.
“IRI joins the efforts of the United States and other interested governments, including members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, African Union and other nongovernmental organizations in calling on South Sudan’s leaders and citizens to find and support a path to meaningful political and ethnic reconciliation that restores peace and respect for the rule of law.
“As a witness to the commitment of the people of South Sudan to overcome conflict and the sacrifices to achieve independence, IRI urges all South Sudanese to remember the unity that has produced the world’s newest nation with its objectives of advancing the political, social and economic potential of its citizens. IRI will continue to engage with all South Sudanese actors to assist them in reaching their aspirations.”
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