NAN-H-80
Peace
Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, May 25, 2017 (NAN) Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said that Nigeria remained committed to the implementation of the peace process and finding lasting solution to the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.
Onyeama stated this when the South Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Deng Kuoi, accompanied by the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Paul Akaro visited him in Abuja.
The Minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari remained steadfast in addressing the internal crisis in the country.
Onyeama expressed pleasure at the steps taken by President Sylva Kiir to reunite the country by initiating a National Peace Dialogue.
“We are so happy with the progress they are making towards unifying their country and they have really taken positive steps to move forward.
“I was extremely happy about the step taken to stabilise South Sudan by President Kiir with the launched of the National Dialogue for peace,” he said.
While noting that that part of peace building also involved economy development, Onyeama said the country’s minister came to seek greater cooperation with Nigeria in that regard.
“The Minister is here to seek greater cooperation between us and hopefully to sign an agreement on the cooperation, in the areas of security, health, market, education, oil and gas sectors.
“And, they will like to see more Nigerian investments in South Sudan, what the interest is, is that they are an oil producing country.
“There is a Nigerian oil company that is one of the prospecting investors in oil sector in South Sudan,” he said.
According to him, for that to really develop there is need for peace and security, adding that Nigeria was working very closely towards that.
Responding, the visiting Minister had earlier said that he was in Nigeria to seek collaboration with Nigeria on different issues adding that Nigeria had been very helpful to South Sudan during the war.
Kuoi said; “Nigeria has been very close to South Sudan and Sudan.
“Nigeria has been very helpful to the country especially during the war. We came to seek collaboration with Nigeria in the area of trade, education and economy.
“There are different areas where Nigeria can help us, in education, in oil sector, we are also oil producing country, we need Nigeria expertise, we need Nigerian oil companies to invest in South Sudan.
“You know that issue of peace is what we are also looking for, we have internal war, we want Nigeria to help us”.
“On trade relations between the two countries, we want to sign the South-South agreement with Nigeria. This is what we have come to discuss.
“We want to develop this relations, we want to trade with Nigeria,” he said
NAN reports that South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar’s Nuer ethnic group.
The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.
The UN said the conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighbouring countries.(NAN)
IAA/SH
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edited by Sadiya Hamza