Donald Booth, Susan Page meet President Obama over South Sudan crisis, White House, Wasgington DC - Jan 2014

The US ambassador to South Sudan is calling on all citizens to work towards a united and prosperous country.

Susan Page said building South Sudan requires the collective effort of everyone.

Ambassador Page called for tolerance and peaceful coexistence amongst the many communities of South Sudan.

“I am always struck by the dedication of the South Sudanese people to their families, their neighbors and friends…to their ideals, and to this new country they fought so hard to create –especially those of you who returned from abroad, drawn home to be part of this better future,” she said.

“I urge you not to let go of your dream of a united, peaceful and prosperous South Sudan, the South Sudan you and your neighbors strived and suffered to build.”

Ambassador Page said the U.S government will continue to support the full implementation of the cessation of hostility agreement signed by the government and Dr. Riek Machar’s group in Addis Ababa last week.

She urged South Sudanese leaders to reconcile.

“As we work together towards that peace, let us keep in our hearts the same words that President Obama spoke to commemorate the great leader, Nelson Mandela, and I quote: ‘Reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth’.”

Last week, Ambassador Susan Page and US special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Donald Booth met President Barrack Obama in Washington to discuss the next steps the US can take in a bid to resolve the crisis in South Sudan.