Amb. Rene Ilume Tembele speaks with Eye Radio's Charles Wote on Mon. Sept. 30, 2019 | Credit | ER

The ambassador of DR Congo to South Sudan is urging hold-out groups to put down their guns and join the peace process.

The armed groups, which rejected the revitalized peace agreement signed in September last year, are mainly under generals Paul Malong Awan and Thomas Cirilo.

Thomas Cirilo is heading the National Salvation Front, while Paul Malong is the chair of South Sudan United Front.

NAS argues that the 2018 revitalized peace agreement does not address the root causes of the conflict, and that his movement is “not after positions.”

He is referring to the power-sharing formula adopted by the parties to the deal during the next transitional period.

IGAD, however, rejected reopening the whole agreement for re-negotiations after its signing in September last year.

On the other hand, Paul Malong demanded participation in the negotiations of the peace talks last year but was denied the opportunity by the mediators.

He fell out with President Salva Kiir after being dismissed as the army Chief of Staff in 2017.

DR Congo ambassador in Juba believes that with peace, South Sudan can develop.

“I would like to congratulate the government for its effort to bring back peace to South Sudan,” Ambassador Rene ilume Tembele told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview.

“We hope that this effort will be understood by our brothers and sisters who are still in the bush so that they lay down their guns in order to bring peace to their beloved country.”

The new government is expected to be established next month.