S. Sudanese activists meet in Addis Ababa over raging conflict

March 17, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – Civil society representatives from South Sudan have concluded a three-day conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia seeking ways to end the ongoing conflict in the world’s youngest nation.

The event, the organisers said, mainly discussed reforms clusters under various thematic areas ranging from halting the ongoing conflict, humanitarian assistance, constitutional reform, truth, justice and reconciliation, and security sector reforms.

“The deliberations also dealt with how civil society can constructively engage with all relevant stakeholders in seeking a peaceful resolution to the South Sudan conflict,” Lona James said on behalf of the organising committee.

The conference was held under the theme “Sustainable peace is a collective effort”.

The event organizers, in a statement to Sudan Tribune, dismissed statements attributed to a junior South Sudanese rebel official who claimed the activists had pushed for inclusion in the ongoing peace talks.

“To this end, we would like to make it crystal clear that we completely denounced and refute it [the report] in the strongest term possible,” partly reads its statement.

“In light of the above, a declaration that stipulates major issues resolved in the conference will be officially issued to the media by the conference’s organizing committee on 18th March 2014 at 3:00 pm,” is further stated.

Violence broke out in the South Sudanese capital, Juba in mid-December last year following a dispute between the presidential guards and later extended to three of the country’s 10 states. At least 10,000 have reportedly been killed and nearly a million displaced in the country’s worst-ever violence since it seceded from Sudan in 2011.

(ST)