Pretoria - South African Deputy President David Mabuza has lauded South Sudan President Salva Kiir for resolving the issue of states and their boundaries within South Sudan, the presidency said on Saturday.
Mabuza had noted the statement by Kiir's office announcing that Kiir "has resolved to return the country to ten states plus three administrative areas", the presidency said in a statement.
In his capacity as South Africa’s special envoy to South Sudan, Mabuza had lauded this decision as "progressive and being in the best interests of peace and unity in South Sudan".
The matter of states and their boundaries had been a matter of contention as one of the outstanding issues leading to the formation of the revitalised transitional government of national unity.
The disagreement between the warring parties prompted the intergovernmental authority on development (IGAD) to invite Mabuza to facilitate a consultative meeting of the parties to the revitalised agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan, seeking to bring the parties together and agree on the number of states during the pre-transitional period.
Mabuza had always remained confident that the the parties would make a breakthrough on this matter and that the people of South South Sudan would find solutions to their problems.
“This revolutionary decision by President Kiir sets the tone for the formation of the revilalised transitional government of national unity before or at the end of the current extended period ending in a week’s time. This will ensure that the guns are silenced in South Sudan as they move towards forming the transitional government.
"We further congratulate the people of South Sudan for the patience and resilience they have shown during this difficult period. Finally we encourage all the parties to work together to build South Sudan towards her sustainable development and prosperity,” Mabuza said in the statement.
Mabuza had recommitted to continue to support the process towards lasting peace and development in South Sudan. He also called upon the special envoys to South Sudan who had been working with him in facilitating the peace process to continue their support to the government and people of South Sudan, the presidency said.