JUBA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday called on refugees in neighboring countries and those displaced inside the world's youngest state to return home.
The government will do its utmost to ensure the returnees are supported to resettle in their homes areas, said Kiir, who chaired a meeting attended by his five deputies.
"The presidency calls on our people in the protection of civilians sites to come out and those refugees in neighboring countries to return home and resettle," Kiir said in a statement issued after the meeting in Juba. "The government will do its utmost best to ensure they are supported to resettle in their homes areas."
Kiir recently swore in Riek Machar, leader of the main opposition group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In-Opposition who had been fighting Kiir's administration since a civil war broke out in December 2013.
Other sworn-in vice presidents were James Wani Igga, Taban Deng Gai, Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior and Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, in accordance with a September 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
The leaders called on the citizens to forgive them for the conflict that has ravaged the east African nation for more than six years, as they embark on reconciliation, forgiveness and healing the country's broken social fabrics.
South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013 and the conflict created one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in the world, displacing 4 million South Sudanese internally and externally.
