IGAD to hold heads of state consultative meeting on South Sudanese conflict
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January 7, 2015 (JUBA)- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD), which mediates South Sudan’s peace talks, said Wednesday it
would hold heads of state consultative conference on the one-year
conflict.
JPEG - 18.3 kb
Face to face talks between the South Sudanese government and rebels in
the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, resumed on 13 January 2014, with a
secured a ceasefire agreement signed later that month (Photo: AFP/Carl
De Souza)
The summit will be the seventh undertaking since the conflict broke
out in December 2013.
It remains unclear whether the new one would come out with practical
plans to implement recommendations made from the previous meetings.
Speaking to reporters in Juba on Wednesday, Ethiopian foreign affairs
minister, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the summit would take place
on 18 January, adding he met with President Salva Kiir to extend him
an invitation to attend it.
“I had a very fruitful discussion with his Excellency president Salva
Kiir Mayardit. We had two issues: one is the upcoming IGAD summit in
Addis Ababa in January 18, which he will be attending. The other issue
which we discussed was the progress of the peace talks and also the
preparations for the upcoming IGAD summit, Ethiopian foreign
minister,” Ghebreyesus told reporters .
He expressed hope that the upcoming meeting would build on the
progress made in the previous summits and break the deadlock on a
number of outstanding issues the two sides are to resolve.
The Ethiopian minister said that during the last summit there was
agreement on most of the issues and there were very few sticky issues
after which a recess was given to the two parties who agreed to resume
discussions on remaining issues after consulting with their
constituencies.
“So we will start by listening to the report from their consultations,
but as I said before, since there was agreement on most of the issues,
we will build on the issues which were agreed previously,” he added.
South Sudanese foreign affairs and international cooperation minister
Barnaba Marial Benjamin who attended the meeting with the president
commended Kiir for extending warm discussion with the visiting
Ethiopian foreign minister.
Benjamin stressed on the existing bilateral relations between the two
countries and announced that joint ministerial commission will be held
in February.
"There are some agreement(s) being drafted and we hope the next joint
ministerial commission that will be held in Addis Ababa will take our
bilateral relations to even higher level," the minister said.
China and IGAD are also organizing a separate conference to be hosted
by the Sudanese government in Khartoum on 12 January before the IGAD
summit.
Sources told Sudan Tribune that Khartoum meeting was important in
trying to forge an understanding as it will involve a country like
China which has influence on president Kiir’s government, given that
Beijing is the biggest oil dealer which provides 95% of the overall
revenues to the young country.
Beijing also gives loans to president Kiir and provided him weaponry
in June last year.
The oil also passes through the only pipeline in Sudan to the
international market.
The Sudanese government also accuses Juba of harbouring and supporting
its rebel groups as well as involving them in the war against
opposition forces led by former vice-president, Riek Machar.
Juba also accuses Khartoum of training and arming Machar’s opposition forces.
South Sudanese rebels have been calling on Ugandan troops allied to
president Kiir to withdraw from war and territory of the young
country.
Analysts, however, say the upcoming IGAD summit would decide whether
it should be the last chance to break the deadlock in the negotiations
in which warring factions and their backers are more strained than
ever, and proposing a reasonable compromise, under the threat of
economic sanctions, could compel them finally to prioritise peace.
But many observers are skeptical and doubt of the two sides strike a
deal to end the conflict. They point to the recent consultations the
government held in Juba and the armed opposition under the leadership
of the former vice president, Riek Machar, held in Pagak, saying it
widened and hardened gaps instead of narrowing them.
(ST)
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8 January 08:18, by Mayom County Boy
IGAD consultative meeting will not bear fruit to warring parties ,
since this crisis occur both sides does n,t achieve peace between
selves ,
I fear this is just a useless meditation from IGAD .
repondre message
8 January 08:51, by J P Puok
white elephant !!
repondre message
8 January 12:03, by chuol
So what is your take?
repondre message
8 January 13:58, by Nyesi Ta
Those Equatorian Ugandan troops (people of the equator) must
withdraw and allow Salva Kiir and Dr. Riak Machar to sort it out
through the barrel of the gun. It is time to reap started.
repondre message
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