Buhari Warns Against Collapse Of South Sudan Peace Agreement

SAN FRANCISCO, March 10, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged that he and other members of the African Union High-Level Consultative Committee on South Sudan will do their best to ensure that the peace agreement signed by the various political factions in the country is successfully implemented.

Speaking at an audience with South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, on Thursday in Abuja, Buhari assured him that Nigeria and the Committee will work with all stakeholders to overcome problems hindering the implementation of the seven-month old agreement.

Expressing concerns that the compliance with the agreed ceasefire in South Sudan has not been total, Buhari revealed that Nigeria will work in collaboration with other members of the African Union to achieve a speedy stabilisation of the situation.

He counseled the leaders of South Sudan not to allow ethnicity and corruption gain a foothold in the new country after receiving a briefing from Dhurgon on the current state of affairs in South Sudan.

“The situation must not deteriorate,” Buhari said to Dhurgon, who is a signatory to the peace agreement.

“Ethnicity and corruption are a lethal combination. You have to deal with them otherwise instability will continue,”

The President also received a Special envoy of the African Union Chairman, President Idris Deby-Itno.

According to Garba Shehu, SSA to the President on Media and Publicity, the Special envoy, Mr Abubakar Saleh Chahaimi delivered a message from President Deby to President Buhari on the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Chad, as well as the work of the African Union Consultative Committee on South Sudan.

Story by David Oputah