More than one million people have fled South Sudan since fighting broke out in December 2013. He said a new Security Council resolution that called for 4,000 more peacekeepers “didn’t take into consideration our concerns as a nation”.
Advertisement
The package was unveiled yesterday by the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Gayle Smith, at what was described as “a high level side event on South Sudan” held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in NY.
After Machar fled the country, Kiir replaced him with Taban Deng Gai, who broke ranks with Machar said he was taking over the opposition SPLM-IO.
“My country is peaceful, there is peace in South Sudan”, Deng also declared, asking global donors to help it out with relief measures and nation-building initiatives.
Participants discussed the current challenges associated with the South Sudan peace process. The United States, China, Britain and Norway were among those at the meeting hosted by U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. “Rarely have such high hopes been squandered so quickly”.
The United Nations last month had accused South Sudanese government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebels backing opposition leader Riek Machar of ethnically-targeted atrocities, including extra judicial execution of civilians and rapes.
The United States has said it does not believe that Machar, who was vice president until he fled, should return to his former position in the government given the continuing instability in the country. “He’s South Sudanese, he can decide to come to Juba anytime”, referring to South Sudan’s capital. A peace deal signed in August 2015 by the rival leaders under United Nations pressure failed to quell the renewed violence.
Advertisement
“This additional funding brings the total US humanitarian aid for the people of South Sudan to about $1.9billion since the conflict started in December, 2013, “she said”. Tens of thousands have been killed.
