South Sudan backs IGAD visit to Sudan for peace process
November 29, 2023 (JUBA) – South Sudan on Thursday said it supports a situational assessment mission to be undertaken by the regional bloc (IGAD) on Sudan’s peace process.
South Sudan’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, James Pitia Morgan said the IGAD secretariat will conduct an assessment mission in the coming days.
The visit will be the first of its kind by the regional bloc since the eruption of the violent conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in mid-April 2023. At the start of the conflict, a high-level visit at the start of the conflict was called off as the security situation was considered to be very volatile.
South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir was to lead the team comprising Kenya and Djibouti.
“His Excellency the president and the Transitional Government of National Unity are continuing to coordinate efforts with IGAD, the African Union, and partners to address the problem. And it is the context that the proposal of His Excellency the President to send an assessment team to Sudan will be done. Now the Executive Secretary [of IGAD] is planning to visit Sudan. And because of the efforts and engagement of his excellency the President at all levels, Sudan has been classified as a very important region by the organization. Emphasizing the desire of the Government of Sudan to continue searching for solutions”, explained Pitia.
He commended the decision of the regional leaders by authorizing the secretariat to convene an emergency summit of IGAD heads of state in the first week of December in Djibouti to discuss the war in Sudan.
Pitia said the summit will hold discussions focused on the security situation in Sudan, and how to accelerate the Jeddah platform for the Sudanese parties to reach a ceasefire, and open safe corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people.
(ST)