JUBA - Deputy President David Mabuza has arrived in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the vice presidents and inauguration of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGNU), the presidency said on Saturday.
The inauguration of the RTGNU followed the breakthrough on the issue of the number of states and their boundaries, which was a sticking point and led to a lengthy process of negotiations by parties to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan.
President Salva Kiir recently announced that the country would revert to 10 States in a move that has been hailed as a demonstration of bold leadership.
Mabuza, as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy to South Sudan, engaged in extensive shuttle diplomacy over the past few months to facilitate a dialogue between the parties to resolve the issue of the number of states and their boundaries.
This facilitation was done under the auspices of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development Mediation. At Saturday’s ceremony, Mabuza would deliver a message of support to Kiir and the people of South Sudan.
The formation of the RTGNU set the tone for lasting peace and development for South Sudan and its people. The next period of the transitional government would oversee the drafting of the permanent constitution and holding of democratic elections, the presidency said.
“We are here to congratulate the people of South Sudan, especially its leadership, as they mark the beginning of a journey of healing and of national unity; a journey of sustained peace and development; and a journey of building a truly united and democratic South Sudan. In the course of conflict, many people were displaced and lives were lost.
"This is why we congratulate the South Sudanese people for taking the path of peace and proving to the world that they are a nation ready to put the past behind and chart a way for the development of this great nation,” Mabuza said.