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Thousands gather at Salva Kiir rally in South Sudan

Refusing to sign ‘bad’ peace agreement, S Sudan president tells his people to persevere in face of hardships ahead.

Thousands of people gathered at a political rally in South Sudan's capital Juba on Wednesday.
By Ashley Hamer
Published On 19 Mar 2015

Juba, South Sudan – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir spoke on Wednesday at a public rally for the first time since peace talks with his rival Riek Machar failed just over two weeks ago.

Addressing thousands gathered in the capital city Juba, Kiir emphasised that he will not be forced into a premature peace deal and rejected the UN threat of sanctions against his country, which he said would further hammer the crumbling economy.

“When I left [for the peace talks] some people thought that I would be forced to sign a bad agreement,” he said.

“But that signing was to be done by someone who wants things done quickly … in that way, I came to you without peace.”

The president declared that even if he were to sign a deal with his rival and former Vice President Riek Machar, it would do little to improve the economic situation in the country in the short term given that oil revenue in South Sudan – it’s primary resource – is now almost non-existent.

Therefore, he said: “We need to look at what we can do for ourselves – our land, this very fertile land. As long as there is rain in South Sudan we can make use of that land and forgetting about anything being brought in from [the] outside.”

“I am disappointed in the mobilisation to impose sanctions rather than encourage peace. Sanctions at this time will not only devastate the economy but increase pressures on the people of South Sudan who are already desperate,” declared Kiir.

For his part, the UN humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, on Tuesday expressed disappointment that peace talks between Kiir and Machar had once again collapsed.

Lanzer highlighted that 2.5 million people in South Sudan are severely food insecure while 400,000 children have not attended school since the civil war broke out in December 2013.

“The situation is very grave and in the absence of peace, there is every possibility of it becoming more serious,” he said.

“We need real signals from the political leadership that it is going to get better.”

Heavily armed police and government forces surrounded the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba where the political rally took place.
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A crowd of several thousand people filled the mausoleum in Juba to witness President Salva Kirr deliver a speech titled 'Standing together for peace, coexistence and harmony'.
The president declared he could not be forced into a premature peace deal with rival and former vice president Riek Machar.
President Salva Kiir also announced his disappointment at the current threat of sanctions by the UN against his country whose economy is crumbling with collapsing oil prices.
Members of the youth 'Red Army', loyal to the president of South Sudan, march in his support at a public rally in the capital city Juba on Wednesday.
Senior police officers, military commanders and generals packed the stands of the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba to witness the president's speech, his first since he returned empty-handed from collapsed peace talks in Ethiopia.
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Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan, told his people they should turn to agriculture to support themselves in the absence of oil revenue.
Kiir said that UN sanctions would further devastate South Sudan's crumbling economy and wreck the lives of people who have already suffered a year of civil war.
Across South Sudan, 2.5 million people are severely food insecure and 400,000 children have not been in formal schooling for over a year according to the UN.