Following the Agreement to Resolve the Crisis in South Sudan, reached by President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:

“Canada welcomes this agreement and calls on military commanders in the field to immediately refrain from any and all armed action. We are concerned, however, that early reports indicate the ceasefire may already have been broken in Bentiu.

“We urge the leadership of both sides to make every effort to facilitate the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance. The people of South Sudan fundamentally want to be able to live in peace and safety—conditions that are especially important during the planting season.

“Canada also fully endorses last week’s report on recent human rights violations, produced by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. We call on the government and the rebel leadership to ensure there is full accountability for the atrocities that have occurred since December 2013. There can be no lasting peace settlement or reconciliation in South Sudan without accountability.”