S. Sudan: UN urges parties to form transitional gov't

ANKARA

The special representative of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and head of UN mission in South Sudan on Monday urged the warring parties to form a transitional government on time.

"The formation of an inclusive transitional government will inspire greater trust and confidence amongst citizens that the peace process will succeed and that the parties will come together to make decisions collectively," David Shearer said in a statement.

The statement said last week's decision to return to 10 states is an important step that will enable the formation of a transitional government as promised to the South Sudanese people.

On Sunday, the East African country's opposition leader Riek Machar rejected a peace offer by President Salva Kiir, which includes plans to cut the number of states to 10 from 32 and to create three administrative areas in the country.

"Under a new transitional government, a process can be initiated so that parties can work together to make a collective decision on the appropriate number of states, administrative areas, and demarcation of boundaries.

"The start of the transitional government will pave the way for elections in three years' time," Shearer added.

The number and boundaries of regional states have been a major sticking point in the long-drawn-out disagreement between the South Sudan government and opposition forces on forming a transitional government of national unity by Feb. 22.

South Sudan slid into crisis when Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in December 2013 on suspicion of plotting a coup, followed by a protracted civil war that claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced 4 million people to flee their homes.

Both leaders finally struck a peace deal in 2018, which remains to be implemented.