Arop Jonchol
Juba: Al-Wadi Newspaper
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Ramadan Mohammed Abdullah Goc, briefed the diplomatic corps and representatives of UN agencies this morning on the current situation in South Sudan and the progress of implementing the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Minister Goc expressed his appreciation to the ambassadors for their attendance and reiterated the government’s commitment to implementing the revitalized agreement, particularly the security arrangements, both in letter and spirit. He emphasized that the government believes there is no military solution to the current issues, stating, “The Government of South Sudan is committed to using political means to resolve political issues.”
The minister provided context about the recent events in Nasir and reassured the regional and international community that the government is diligently working to maintain peace and prevent the incident from escalating to other areas of the country.
Minister Goc acknowledged the ongoing investigation involving the First Vice President, the Minister of Petroleum, and other officials from the SPLM-IO opposition faction regarding the events in Nasir. He assured that the government would conduct the investigation transparently and, if sufficient evidence of culpability is found, those responsible would be tried in a transparent manner.
The minister urged the international community to support South Sudan in lifting the arms embargo currently imposed on the country, stressing that such restrictions hinder the government’s ability to professionalize its security forces and maintain stability.
The minister emphasized that there is no reason for anyone to leave the country, assuring that there will be no war in South Sudan. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to peace and its readiness to collaborate with all stakeholders.
