Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. President Salva Kiir said he has forgiven his co-principal and peace partner, Riek Machar, whom he accused of “fighting him since 1991.”
While addressing the congregation on Christmas Day at St. Theresa Cathedral in Juba on Sunday, Kiir said he not only forgave Machar but is also ready to open a new year with full concentration on development.
“I want to tell you today that I have forgiven Dr. Riek Machar, who has been fighting me since 1991,” Kiir said.
He gave Machar the option of deciding whether to publicly apologise to him or not.
“It is up to him whether he apologises to the nation or not; but I have forgiven him,” he added.
President Kiir emphasised the importance of political leaders dealing with development in the country rather than power struggles.
“Power struggles will not take us anywhere,” he said.
He underlined the need for infrastructural development to support trade.
The president would then point his finger at some church leaders for turning the sanctuary into the unholy ground of reckless talk, arguing that such incidents had prevented him from communing with the believers.
“I have been absent from the church for some time. It’s not that I don’t want to pray in this church; it’s just that there were elements in the cathedral whenever I came; they [would] talk in a way that didn’t fit with my position to be here. But I have forgiven them,” Kiir said.
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