Reports from the UN Secretary General to the UN Security Council and the EU's High Representative to South Sudan, released in February and March respectively, show there is a long way to go to achieve the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) that was signed on 12 September 2018. The deal, between President Salva Kiir's Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Army in Government (SPLM/A-IG) and Riek Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), was intended to end hostilities and establish a unified government. A significant step towards this was achieved on 22 February 2020 when Kiir was sworn in as president of South Sudan with Machar as his vice-president. Crucial to the deal was the creation of a unified South Sudanese military, known as the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), which would unite the warring tribal groups into one overarching organisation.
展开▼
