S. Sudan dispatches high level delegation to UNGA
September 23, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government has dispatched a high level delegation to the United States to attend and participate at the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its headquarters in New York.
UN secretary-general had extended invitation to president Salva Kiir and the leader of the armed opposition, Riek Machar, who has now been designated as the first vice president in accordance with the internationally backed IGAD brokered peace agreement to end the 21 months long civil war in the country.
But the information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, who is also the government’s spokesperson, said the invitation was extended to president Kiir on short notice, citing difficulties the presidential entourage would encounter in seeking visa clearances from the United States.
Lueth said the government decided to send the vice president to the delegation of 34 members instead of the president in protest, saying Kiir has been treated like a “school boy” by the United Nations.
The vice-president while in New York will meet with the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon, on the sidelines of the general assembly over a number of issues, including providing briefings about position of the government and what it has started to do with implementation of the peace agreement.
Igga is also expected to meet and hold one on one meeting with the leader of the armed opposition leader and first vice president designate, Machar, as well as secretary-general of the governing Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum in his capacity as the leader of the group of former detainees.
It is not yet clear how the vice president would meet the leaders of the rival camps, whether in one meeting or separately.
It also remains unclear what the leaders of the rival camps would discuss, although supporters on both sides are keen to say the meeting would give attention to how peace could be implemented and how to bring on board the holdup parties as well as confirmation of when Machar with his group and Amum with colleagues would return to the country.
In accordance with the peace deal, a government of national unity would be formed at the end of the three-month pre-transitional period per the power sharing arrangements in the national and state governments. General elections would be held two months before the end of the 30 months of transitional period.
The UN high profile summit on South Sudan following the signing of the peace agreement will bring together heads of state and government from around the world to galvanize support to the implementation of the peace deal.
(ST)