Statement by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice on Peace Agreement in South Sudan

For five months, fighting in South Sudan has robbed that country of hope and denied its people the peace and prosperity they deserve.  The agreement South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar signed today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, holds the promise of bringing the crisis to an end.  We deeply appreciate the important role the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) played in facilitating the talks.  We commend IGAD for its persistent pursuit of peace, and its Chairman, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, for his leadership.  We urge President Kiir and Mr. Machar to move swiftly to honor the agreement in word and deed by ending the violence and negotiating in good faith to reach a political agreement that can ensure stability, prosperity and peace for all of South Sudan’s people.