South Sudanese rebel leaders meets UN, African leaders in Johannesburg

June 13, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese former vice president, turned rebel leader, Riek Machar, briefed a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

His spokesperson said the meetings dwelled on the peace process in South Sudan, particularly on the concerns raised by the rebel leader about the recent draft peace agreement proposed by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which has been mediating between the warring parties in the country.

“Chairman and commander-in-chief of SPLM/SPLA, Dr. Riek Machar, briefed a number of world leaders on the peace process in separate consultative meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa,” Machar’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, said on Saturday.

Among the world leaders that held talks with the rebel leader on Friday and Saturday he named the United Nations deputy secretary general, Jan Ellison, president of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Deby, president of Pan African parliament, Roger Nkodo and Egyptian foreign minister, Shoukry.

Dak also said a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council was about to take place on Saturday.

AU and IGAD mediation are expected to conduct further consultative meetings with leaders of the warring parties, South Sudanese president Salva Kiir and his rival, Machar, on the way forward.

A date for resumption of the peace talks in Addis Ababa aimed to end the 18-month long civil war is expected to be announced following the consultations with the AU in Johannesburg.

(ST)