South Sudan’s Machar to travel to New York for high-level meeting: Spokesperson

September 12, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s former vice president, Riek Machar, will lead a delegation of the armed opposition faction, SPLM-IO, to New York in the United States for a high-level meeting organized by the United Nations (UN) secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, his press secretary has announced.

Machar’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, in a press statement said the opposition leader will lead a high-level delegation to the United Nations in response to an invitation extended to him by the UN secretary general Ki Moon.

“SPLM/SPLA Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, Comrade Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, will lead a delegation to New York for a high-level meeting on South Sudan. This important meeting will be held on 29th September, 2015, in the margins of the seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly,” he said.

Dak said Machar has been officially invited to the meeting by the UN chief during which world leaders will participate.

He said the meeting will be held at the level of heads of state and government to galvanize international support for the implementation of the peace agreement signed in August by the parties to the conflict in South Sudan.

The parties signed an IGAD Plus compromise peace agreement on 17 and 26 August, respectively, and has been ratified by their legislative bodies. Its implementation has commenced with the UN urging the parties to commit to its full implementation.

The New York summit is expected to mobilize for diplomatic and resource support to the implementation of the deal.

(ST)