South Sudan Presidency: President Salva Kiir and his Vice Presidents in a recent photo. Courtesy

South Sudan’s main opposition leader and First Vice President has expressed optimism that the unity government will be fully formed by 2021.

Dr. Riek Machar, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) says he is hopeful that the rest of the outstanding tasks such as the formation of the state governments and unifying the army shall be completed.

“With this Christmas and the new year coming, a lot of things will change and I am optimistic that we will complete the formation of the R-TGoNU at all levels,” Dr. Machar said in a televised Christmas message.

Since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018, the parties are still struggling to implement the peace deal.

Several critical provisions of the agreement have yet to be accomplished.

These include among other tasks; the reconstitution of the transitional national legislature, the reunification of forces, full establishment of state governments and constitutional making process, and the economic sector reforms.

Some of these ambitious reforms within the agreement have not been initiated or completed.

But Dr. Machar reiterates that the New Year will present an opportunity for the people of South Sudan to witness changes.

“I am also optimistic that we shall implement the security arrangements forming the new army which will be unified, the new police which will be unified, the new national security which will be unified and other organized forces,” Dr. Machar added.

“This is important for our people because the most important issue is the security of their own lives and the security of their own property.”

The opposition leader also urged the public to support the unity government in restoring hope in the country.