Dialogue committee pushes for meeting of S. Sudan rival leaders
July 2, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s national dialogue committee is now seeking the intervention of regional and continental leaders to bring the country’s rival leaders for face to face meeting.
An elderly politician, who preferred anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said a delegation is in South Africa to meet the leader of the armed opposition faction chairman, Riek Machar.
“The objective of going to South Africa is to meet Dr Riek and his group to seek their views to see how from their perspectives they would like the current situation to be addressed. The team will also talk to the ANC [African National Congress] leadership, particularly President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa,” he said.
According to the official, optimism is high that the South African leaders will convince President Kiir and his main political rival to that the two can come together and talk as part of confidence-building.
“We are pushing for this because it will raise hopes and boost the dialogue itself”, he added.
The official, however, claimed there were some “people in the middle trying to frustrate their efforts to bring the two rival leaders together, but added that all efforts were underway to success.
The dialogue body is reportedly considering the return of the South Sudanese rebel leader so he can participate in the upcoming general elections to take place at the end of the interim period.
“Our people want peace, they want stability and those who fled needs to return but they cannot return if the conflict is still continuing. It has to stop and to stop; some painful decisions have to be made and we are asking brother Riek to lead the way. He should open his heart,” the official exclusively told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
He added, “It is not easy, but the country should be rescued. We are telling the president to exhibit leadership and painful decisions”.
Sudan Tribune has reliably learnt that, during their visit to South Africa, the dialogue committee delegation met Ramaphosa, but not Machar.
The South Sudanese rebel leader, who fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in August last year after fierce fighting, lives in South Africa.
The official said another high-level delegation meeting the exiled leaders will visit Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia and other East African countries, including Sudan to meet the country’s former political detainees, Lam Akol and General Thomas Cirilo.
Over a million people have fled the world’s youngest nation since conflict erupted in late 2013 when Kiir sacked Machar from his post.
(ST)