James Wani Igga, Vice President

Vice President James Wani Igga has called for compromise in the implementation of the peace agreement, as the government and the SPLM in Opposition disagree on the creation of more states.

President Salva Kiir split the ten states into 28 in October and named their governors last month, saying the decision was a popular demand of the people.

The SPLM in Opposition says the move is against the peace agreement. Officials say this disagreement will delay the formation of a national unity government.

Mr Wani Igga says one of the two parties should withdraw from its position in the interest of implementing the agreement.

“I urge all parties to the agreement to give something up so that we maintain this agreement and this peace,” he said, addressing a gathering at the inauguration of a project to deliver clean drinking water to more than 300,000 residents of Juba.

“Let us put our people as number one, with this we will be able to hold to this peace agreement and the country will definitely prosper,” he said.

The project was implemented by an Israeli company, SDI. At the occasion, Mr Igga urged South Sudanese to abandon the establishment of associations based on ethnicity.

He said this is promoting tribalism.