NAIROBI, Kenya
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has announced that it will conduct a virtual meeting on Wednesday to address the ongoing tensions among the peace parties in South Sudan.
According to a statement
released to the media, the IGAD Secretariat, following directives from the
Chair, intends to convene an extraordinary summit to respond to the escalating
issues related to the South Sudan Peace Agreement.
“The Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) is set to convene the 43rd Extraordinary Summit
of Heads of State and Government to address the evolving situation in South
Sudan. The Summit will be held virtually on Wednesday, 12th March 2025,” the
statement partly read.
“IGAD, as the guarantor of the
Revitalised Agreement (R-ARCSS), remains steadfast in its commitment to
promoting dialogue, de-escalating tensions, and securing a peaceful future for
the people of South Sudan,” it added.
On March 4, fighting erupted
in Nassir County, leaving several people dead, including an air force pilot and
the killing of an army commander days later.
Despite the presidential
meeting to address the crisis in Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, and Western
Bahr el Ghazal, tensions have continued in some areas.
As several actors called on
parties to respect the peace agreement the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA)
has called on IGAD member countries to urgently convene in Juba to address the
escalating tensions in South Sudan before the 2018 peace agreement collapses.
In a statement released to the
media, CPA’s Director, Ter Manyang emphasized the need for peace guarantors and
IGAD members to meet with President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr.
Riek Machar.
Manyang insists that it is
imperative for IGAD members to engage with both leaders in order to address the
rising issues and work towards de-escalating the tension in the country.
The Inter-governmental
Authority on Development IGAD is a regional bloc that comprises Djibouti,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda
Activist Manyang requested the
bloc to urgently meet in Juba to ensure that the ongoing Tension does not
escalate into the stage that may derail the 2018 peace agreement.
“CPA urges the heads of state
and government of IGAD to come to Juba to meet with President Salva Kiir and
First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar to de-escalate high tension before they
spiral out of control,” Manyang said.
He expressed that South
Sudanese have been exhausted by the previous wars and continue to hope that It
is the collective responsibility and primary duty of leaders to build peace in
the country.
The activist added that while
there are a series of misunderstandings between principal parties to the peace
deal the IGAD countries have to intervene to avoid full-scale war.
“Therefore, the heads of state
and government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) cannot
passively watch as South Sudan descends into “full-scale war,” which is not
what the citizens desire” he said.
He added that the IGAD
countries bear the responsibility of ensuring that both President Salva Kiir
and Dr. Riek Machar do not lead the country back into war.
“Both Kiir and Machar bear
collective responsibility for fostering peace and delivering it to the South
Sudanese people,” he said.
The activist appeals to South
Sudan leaders to solve misunderstandings through dialogue and implement the
peace agreement.
No comments:
Post a Comment