WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on Saturday’s swearing in of South Sudan’s transitional government leadership including Riek Machar as first vice president:
“The swearing-in of South Sudan’s new transitional leadership marks a crucial milestone in a much-delayed peace process. Since the country’s independence in 2011, South Sudan’s leaders have been marked by grand corruption, violence, and self-interest. The South Sudanese have suffered unspeakable horrors since the start of a civil war in 2013, and this troubling history emphasizes the need for meaningful change. It is my hope that South Sudan's leaders will use Saturday's milestone to deliver lasting peace and relieve the South Sudanese people of their suffering. A successful unity government and the preservation of a tenuous peace are two of the challenges ahead for the world's youngest nation.”
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