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South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Tuesday called on his compatriots to "embrace peace" and apologized for his government's mistakes after failing to pay public sector employees due to an economic crisis .
"My fellow citizens, I want us to encourage all our sons and daughters to embrace peace and keep the peace," said Kiir in a speech celebrating the country's independence.
South Sudan entered the war in 2013 when Kiir accused his former MP, Riek Machar, of planning a coup d'etat.
A peace agreement was signed with the opposition in 2018, but the UN says violence in a region has intensified since.
Under the peace agreement, a unity government will be put in place to allow Machar to return from abroad, but the process has been hampered by quarrels.
Kiir, in a gesture towards the opposition parties, thanked them "for their commitment to the peace agreement".
With the oil-rich country struggling financially, Kiir's government has been unable to pay troops and officials for months, prompting Parliament to block the budget last month in protest.
"I am fully aware of the fact that our people are angry because of the difficult living conditions imposed by insecurity and economic hardship," said Kiir.
"(…) I wish to sincerely apologize to you, my people and on behalf of my government."
The peace agreement is key to the country's turnaround, he said.
"Security will return to South Sudan, our economy will prosper and we will be able to better provide important services to our people, such as schools, clean drinking water and job creation for our people," he said. he predicts.
The UN said last week that the peace deal had resulted in a decrease in violence, but that fighting was continuing in the south of Central Equatoria province.
South Sudan – the youngest country in the world – was socially and economically beaten by the long civil conflict.
Oil production, which accounts for 98% of state revenue, has declined by more than half since independence in 2011, reaching 350,000 barrels a day.
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