Pretoria - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the signature by President Salva Kiir to the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.
"This is a critical and necessary step towards ending the 20 month-long conflict that has devastated South Sudan and subjected its people to unspeakable suffering," Ban said the statement on Wednesday.
Rebel leader Riek Machar signed the deal last week but Kiir previously refused. The signing of the deal means that the fighting between the forces loyal to the two men will end and Machar will return as vice-president in the world's youngest state, which broke away from Sudan in 2011.
The Secretary General commended the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for its tireless efforts to bring the peace talks to a successful conclusion.
He is heartened by the unity of purpose that regional leaders have displayed in seeking an end to this tragic conflict, said the statement.
Ban said "now is the time to ensure that this agreement translates into an end to the violence, hardship and horrific human rights violations witnessed throughout this conflict”.
He urged the parties to work in good faith to implement its provisions, beginning with a permanent cease-fire and the granting of unhindered freedom of movement to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and to humanitarian actors working to reach people in need of urgent assistance, it said.
Clashes in South Sudan over the last 20 months have displaced more than 2.2 million people and have inflicted a great deal of human suffering. – SAnews.gov.za
