UN Notes South Sudan Agreement, Regrets Lack of Power-Sharing Formula

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his regret that a mutually acceptable power-sharing formula had not been reached during the negotiations between the South Sudan's president and the opposition leader in Ethiopia.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his regret on Tuesday over the lack of a mutually acceptable power-sharing formula in the recent peace deal, signed by South Sudan's president and the opposition leader in Ethiopia.

"The Secretary-General takes note of the outcome of the last round of negotiations between President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar, as reflected in the agreement they signed in Addis-Ababa on 2 February 2015. He regrets that neither of them compromised on a mutually acceptable power-sharing formula," the UN said in a statement published on its website.

On Monday, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the country's former vice president Riek Machar reached a power-sharing and ceasefire agreement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Kiir will reportedly keep the president's post, while Machar will hold his former position as deputy president. At the same time, the warring factions are yet to decide upon the distribution of positions in the government.

Both the South Sudan government and the opposition groups decided to conclude a comprehensive agreement before March 5.

Violence erupted in South Sudan in December, 2013, when president Salva Kiir accused Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Thousands of people have been killed in the ongoing civil war in the country.