Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior speaking at a function in March 14, 2020 | Courtesy photo

Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng has called on political leaders to collaborate over issues of public interests rather than prioritize party politics.

Nyandeng, who is in-charge of Gender and Social Welfare Cluster at the Presidency, says party affiliations should not drive peace and development efforts in South Sudan.

South Sudan is currently governed by a coalition of political parties that emerged as a result of 5 years of conflict.

The transitional government of national unity is headed up by President Salva Kiir, Dr. Riek Machar, Rebecca Nyandeng, Dr. James Wani Igga, Taban Deng and Hussein Abdel-baggi.

Their tasks include, among others, restoring peace, stability, and institute reforms across the various sectors in South Sudan.

But Vice President Nyandeng believes party interests will continue to influence decisions in the new government.

“I want to tell yourself in the leadership that we should be working as leaders but not work as parties. So let’s put behind all our differences and move forward,” she told the leaders during the commemoration of the 37^th anniversary of the SPLA Day in Juba.

She called on her colleagues to adopt the spirit of cooperation in the interest of the public.

Despite the formation of the national transitional government as per the revitalized peace deal, the parties are still at a deadlock over the allocation of states and appointment of governors.

This has hindered the provision of security and delivery of essential services to the states where there are reports of communal violence and the spread of the coronavirus.

“We lost people along the way and we should always remember them with this day [SPLA Day] because this day did not just come like that, it came with a lot of loss of lives,” she added.

“We should not forget about them because their children are here with us and their wife are here with us.”