S. Sudan’s national dialogue to include “armed opposition”: official

May 30, 2017 (JUBA) – The steering committee for the South Sudan’s national dialogue said all stakeholders, including the armed opposition, will be consulted for the process in all parts of the young nation.

“In the next five weeks, the steering committee for the national dialogue will discuss with a number of stakeholders, including civil society, media, women, youth, political parties, armed groups and even the organized forces to physically solicit ideas about what people want to talk about in the national dialogue, what should be items on the agenda and how it should be approached,” he told reporters in the capital, Juba Tuesday.

The committee, at a two-day meeting held this week, appears to have maintained its inclusive approach to the national dialogue.

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir officially launched the long-awaited national dialogue initiative in the capital, Juba on Monday last week.

The national dialogue initiative is both a forum and process through which the people South Sudan shall gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, redefine citizenship and belonging, as well as restructure the state for national inclusion.

Since mid-December 2013, tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced from the East African nation.

(ST)