South Sudanese army chief of staff General Gabriel Jok Riak and the SPLA-IO Deputy Chief of staff Lt. Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley joined thousands of South Sudanese in Bentiu to celebrate the revitalized peace agreement last Monday.
The function which was organized by the Northern Liech Governor Nguen Monytuil Wijang was also attended by the SPLM-IO Governor of Northern Liech Tor Tunguar who came with an important political and military delegation.
“The SPLA-IO thanks the organizers of the peace celebration for disseminating the peace message to the suffering civilians who desperately need peace now more than anything,” said SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement on Wednesday.
The celebration was attended by a huge crowd from Bentinu and IDPs camps in the areas. Also, Gabriel added that some civilians came from Sudan to take part in the event.
Speakers at the celebration reiterated their commitment to the full implementation of the peace agreement. They also vowed to work together to achieve national reconciliation and development of the oil-rich area.
During the five-year civil war, Bentiu witnessed fierce fighting that forced nearly 120,000 civilians to seek refuge at the UN-protected camps in the area.
SPLA-IO Deputy Chief of staff Lt. Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley arrived in Juba last Thursday 21 December take part in the meeting of the Joint Defence Board (JDB) that exercises command and control over all forces during the Pre-Transitional Period.