国际英语新闻: South Africa pledges support for peace process in South Sudan

Photo taken on Oct. 16, 2018 shows visiting Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza (L) meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (R) in Khartoum, Sudan. South Africa on Tuesday pledged to support the peace process in South Sudan along with the efforts being made by Sudanese government in this respect. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)

KHARTOUM, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Tuesday pledged to support the peace process in South Sudan along with the efforts being made by Sudanese government in this respect.

Visiting Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza made the pledge during a meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

South Africa is going support the efforts by by al-Bashir and other regional leaders who are engage in the peace process to ensure that South Sudan discovers its long lasting peace, Mabuza told reporters following meeting with al-Bashir.

He said the aim of his visit was to discuss the peace process in South Sudan and evaluate the progress made.

"I'm leaving Sudan with a very optimistic mind that everything is going according to plan," Mabuza added.

Mabuza arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday on an official two-day visit.

On Sept. 13, South Sudan's conflicting parties signed the final peace deal in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in the presence of the heads of state and government of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in Africa (IGAD).

The deal was reached through talks brokered in Khartoum by the Sudanese government with a mandate by the IGAD.

The final deal includes the Khartoum peace agreement on South Sudan signed last June and the agreement on power-sharing and security arrangements signed last August.