Former South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar has been sworn in as first vice-president, sealing a peace deal aimed at ending six years of civil war.
President Salva Kiir witnessed the moment during a ceremony at the State House in the capital, Juba.
Kiir declared “the official end of the war, and we can now proclaim a new dawn.” Peace is “never to be shaken ever again,” the president said, adding that he had forgiven Machar and asking for Machar’s forgiveness, to applause. He called on their respective Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups to do the same.
It is hoped that the new unity government will bring an end to the conflict that has killed about 400,000 people and displaced millions.
However, previous deals were widely heralded only to fall apart.
