President Salva Kiir (Photo: Office of the President).

President Salva Kiir on Saturday appealed for peace and stability which he said are necessary for the voluntary return of refugees and IDPs and the conduct of credible elections.

In his address on the eve of South Sudan’s 12th Independence Anniversary, Kiir thanked the South Sudanese people for enduring the “senseless war that we fought among ourselves from 2013 to 2018.”

“The impact of this war is still with us. For example, the impact of this war has delayed our governance reforms and included economic difficulties,” he said.

Thousands of people are still in the refugee camps in neighboring countries, even though thousands have voluntarily returned to the country. We still have IDPs in various parts of our country, who still fear the possibility of war erupting in our country again.”

Kiir then said achieving peace and stability is the only way out of what he termed a cycle of transitional governments and violence once and for all.

“To this effect, I am calling upon you my fellow citizens to work with the peace partners and my colleagues in government collectively for peace and stability in our country,” said the president.

Kiir said the transitional government, which he leads, has faced challenges which, according to him, were “fortunately” overcome by the peace parties, throughout the last three years.

“Each time we face hurdles, we have managed to resolve them through dialogue,” he said.

Kiir further encouraged the peace parties to keep the spirit of dialogue and consensus in the coming months “to accelerate the implementation of the remaining critical provisions” of the peace deal.

South Sudan marks the 12th Anniversary of its independence with muted celebrations in the capital Juba as usual but with some celebrations in the states.

However, on Friday through Saturday, the streets of Juba bustled with celebration moods as motorists decorate their vehicles with South Sudan flags sold widely on roadsides.

Kiir concluded his speech by declaring Monday, July 10, a public holiday to celebrate the Independence Day anniversary since the exact day falls on Sunday.

“Given that this holiday has fallen on Sunday, I wish to inform all our citizens and international organizations that Monday, July 10th, 2023, will be a public holiday. Please take your time to enjoy Monday with your families.”