South Sudan president Salva Kiir has regretted his country’s secession from neigbouring Sudan, saying most of the people were forced to follow the decisions of the majority.

“My coming to Khartoum today is a response to your invitation. It’s really to put a final decision on all agreement we have signed since 2012. I take the responsibility to be the supervisor on my team to supervise whatever has been agreed upon. This is in respond to goodwill you have shown,” said a visibly-emotional Kiir at a reception meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum.

He added, “The fact that South Sudan broke away from Sudan was not really the most choice of everybody, but the majority when they decide in a democratic situation, people have to go with this”.

The South Sudanese leader said he was in Khartoum in respond to invitation extended by his counterpart for discussions over pending issues, including oil transit fees, border security and the South Sudanese refugees who fled the civil war into neighbouring Sudan.

President Kiir’s remarks sparked heated debates on social media, with government critics calling him to resign since he has regretted the decision of the majority of the people who voted for secession.

The office of the president has come out saying that the president was misquoted.