South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The outgoing Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan, Tsutsumi Naohiro has praised South Sudanese parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement for making steady progress in the implementation of the peace agreement.
Ambassador Tsutsumi said during his New Year message published on the embassy’s Facebook page that the parties have achieved some tangible despite the peace implementation being behind schedule.
“When looking at the implementation of the peace agreement of the 2018 R-ARCSS, I am pleased that South Sudan has made steady progress,” said Tsutsumi.
He noted that the progress made includes the formation of governments and legislative bodies, as well as the start of deployment of the unified forces, constitution making process, and preparation for the 2024 elections.
“Although its pace is behind schedule of the Roadmap, these achievements nevertheless should not be underestimated, because they are all indispensable steps for the final goal of the R-ARCSS to create a democratic South Sudan,” said Tsutsumi.
The outgoing Japanese envoy expressed his appreciation to the people of South Sudan for their acceptance, hospitality and friendship.
“I was lucky enough to enjoy the excellent bilateral relations. I saw the completion of Freedom Bridge in May 2022 and Juba City Water Treatment Facility in February 2023, both of which will have sustaining impacts on people’s daily lives and economic development in South Sudan,” said Tsutsumi.
He said that the Japanese government still has many cooperation projects of infrastructure development and technical assistance to South Sudan that are ongoing.
