South Sudan unity government takes oath of office

South Sudan has formed a transitional unity government with 30 ministers sworn in, bringing an end a two-year deadly conflict in the country.

The ministerial portfolios were divided between President Salva Kiir, former rebel leader Riek Machar and other parties, consistent with an August 2015 peace deal. Machar was sworn in as first vice president shortly after returning to the capital on Tuesday.

"We are going to work together," Kiir said after the ministers took the oaths of office on Friday. "We must learn how to forgive and we must learn how to apologize."

Thousands of people have been killed and more than two million forced to flee their homes because of clashes between rival factions. Machar fled Juba at the start of the civil war in December 2013.

"Cooperation is important," Machar told the new ministers, calling on the leaders to show fearful people that the peace deal would succeed.

"If we act as groups in the cabinet, we will fail the people of South Sudan."

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the move as an "important milestone" in the peace process, and called on the parties "to cease immediately all hostilities".

The Juba cabinet is scheduled to remain in place till October 2018.

Kiir holds the important ministerial portfolios with Kuol Manyang remaining as minister of defense and David Deng Athorbei as finance minsiter.

SS