Secretary Kerry Meets South Sudanese Leaders

Secretary Kerry Poses for a Photo With the South Sudanese Delegation Before Their Meeting in Washington. State Department Photo
Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
October 8, 2015

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Special Envoy Don Booth welcomed South Sudanese leaders – including Vice President James Wani Igga, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, and Deng Alor Kuol – to the U.S. Department of State on October 7, to discuss ways of accelerating implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.

The Secretary expressed serious concern about the renewed fighting in Unity State, stressing that it cannot be tolerated, and urging all parties to respect the ceasefire. The Secretary urged the leaders to expeditiously finalize security arrangements for Juba, create institutions to oversee the permanent ceasefire, and ensure no unilateral actions undermine the agreement.

Secretary Kerry affirmed that the United States stands ready to support implementation of the agreement provided the parties demonstrate their commitment to it by moving forward with implementation.

He also emphasized our enduring friendship with the people of South Sudan, for whom we have provided over $1.3 billion in humanitarian assistance since December 2013.