UN chief to meet with South Sudan president

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon would on Thursday meet with South Sudan President, Salva Kiir.

He would also visit a UN shelter for civilians affected by conflict in the country. His visit comes as opposing groups in the peace process begin to take shape with the formation of a unity government following the peace agreement signed in August..

South Sudan’s joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has announced an agreement to allow 1,370 opposition forces of the reappointed vice president, Riek Machar, into the capital.

Other security forces are expected to join them after the power-sharing transitional government is formed.

The reappointed vice president and president Salva Kiir signed a peace deal in August after two years of civil war. They both agreed to run a unity government for 30 months before holding elections. Kiir last week appointed Machar as his vice president.

Over the past two years, thousands of people have died and more than two million people have been displaced as a result of violence in the country.

On February 23, the UN chief also visited Goma, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he met with people impacted by the insecurity and humanitarian crisis in the region, including those living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.

He also made a stop at Kinshasa, the DRC capital, for the opening session of the Great Lakes Private Sector Investment Conference.