President Salva Kiir of South Sudan spoke at the United Nations on Thursday. He asked for help from other countries to bring peace to Sudan and help people who are suffering because of the conflict. The fighting in Sudan has been going on for five months and has forced over five million people to leave their homes. This has also caused a big problem with not enough food and other important things for the people near the border of South Sudan and Sudan.
Mr. Kiir talked to world leaders who were at the annual meeting of the United Nations. He said, “I am asking the international community to give resources to help the refugees and people who had to leave their homes and come to South Sudan.” He also said, “Even though there are many problems in the world right now, we need to keep helping these people who had to leave their homes. At the same time, we are working on bringing peace and stability back to Sudan.”
Mr. Kiir said, “We are committed to working together as a global family to solve the problems we face. We believe that working together with other countries is the best way to make our dreams come true.”
President Kiir also talked about some challenges South Sudan has faced since 2013, like problems with politics, people’s safety, and helping people who need it. He said things have gotten better since a peace agreement was made in 2018. South Sudan now wants to build on this peace and make the economy more stable.
Mr. Kiir said, “We want to have fair, honest, and trustworthy elections in 2024 to finish the period of transition peacefully. We have been talking to many different groups, including civil society, women, young people, traditional leaders, and opposition groups, to make sure our plan for peace is supported by our own people.”
South Sudan also wants the United Nations to stop a rule that doesn’t let them buy weapons. This rule has made it hard for them to make their security plans work.
On the topic of climate change, Mr. Kiir said South Sudan wants to use the land wisely, use energy that doesn’t harm the environment, and work with other countries to reduce harmful emissions and protect the environment for future generations. He also said that developed countries should reduce their harmful emissions by 45% and give money to help developing countries deal with climate change.
President Kiir mentioned that in South Sudan, children are allowed to go to school for free. He also said that they made a rule against children getting married too young. South Sudan has a plan to follow seven goals for making things better for its people, called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Education is an important part of these goals.
Mr. Kiir added, “In healthcare, we want to use money to make healthcare affordable and good for everyone. We will start with basic healthcare that is fair and doesn’t cost too much.”
