"We should not be afraid of peace. We need to start reconciliation in it. Peace is a step toward reconciliation. Again, reconciliation cannot be done by people who did not fight; it is done by people who fought and agreed for a way forward," Machar said.
"I can see you are still bitter in your hearts, but for a country to move forward, we have to leave these things behind," he added.
In December 2013 and July 2016, fighting broke out between soldiers loyal to Kiir and his deputy in Juba. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands fled their homes to seek safety at United Nation–run Protection of Civilians (POC) sites in Juba and in other parts of the country, according to the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Machar told displaced South Sudanese that although the five-year-long conflict left lasting wounds, they should let go of the past and move forward as a unified country.
"Peace has come. We should reconcile with each other and unite together so that we can start a new life. Ten years in the POC, life there is not good, and if we see you staying there, we all don’t feel good, and that is why we want to see that you have opportunities like others," Machar said.
He encouraged the displaced to start businesses and empower themselves in spite of the challenges they face.
Speaking at an event in Juba Saturday organized by the Shilluk community, Kiir acknowledged the complex problems South Sudanese must overcome to achieve peace.
"I know this is easier to say but it is difficult to be done because those who have experienced losses through violence can be reluctant peacemakers. This is because at times, the spirit of revenge overtakes the desire for peace, and in such a situation, to be a peacemaker requires immense courage," he said.
Many displaced said they cannot go back because their homes have been occupied by others. Some widows whose husbands were killed during the fighting say they have no savings or property to restart their lives.
King Kongo Dak Padiet of the Chollo Kingdom in Upper Nile State, who was displaced from his palace in Fashoda after recent deadly fighting, urged all South Sudanese to embrace peace.
"We all need peace. When there is no peace, it means you are not a person. It is either you will die, or your children will die, or your wife will die. But why?" he said. "We should help in restoring peace."
