South Sudan pardons dozens of prisoners

South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir has pardoned dozens of prisoners including a prominent economist jailed for giving interviews to foreign media.

He said the move is a goodwill gesture to rejuvenate the country’s stalled peace process.

South Sudan plunged into war in 2013 after a political disagreement between Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar deteriorated into a military confrontation.

Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in 2018 under pressure from the United Nations, United States and other countries in the region to end the country’s civil war.