Juba, March 25, 2015 (SSNA) — The United States’ Special Envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, on Wednesday told reporters in Juba that president Kiir’s term extension by parliament beyond the 9th of July this year is not the right way.
Booth stressed that Kiir’s constitutional term can only be extended “through negotiations” between South Sudan’s warring sides.
Booth also indicated that a deal between the rival factions that would establish a transitional government of national unity is the best option and that both sides must resume peace talks and find a peaceful solution before Kiir’s term expired.
IGAD-mediated peace talks collapsed in Ethiopia early this month after both sides disagreed on power sharing, security arrangements, among others.
On Tuesday, South Sudan’s parliament passed what it described as “The Transitional Constitution 2011 Amendment Bill of 2015,” giving Kiir three more years in office.