IGAD FMs to meet in Juba over peace agreement implementation

July 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Foreign Ministers of the east African regional bloc (IGAD) will meet in Juba on Sunday to discuss the report of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) on the implementation of South Sudan’s peace agreement, said Sudan’s Foreign Ministry.

South Sudan’s peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa in August 2015 failed following the eruption of hostilities in the capital, Juba in July 2016. The conflict has since spread to Equatoria and Bahr El Ghazal regions, which were initially considered peaceful during the earlier periods when violence broke out in mid-December, 2013.

Last month, South Sudan’s Minister of Information Michael Makuei said Juba would host a meeting for the IGAD countries and the Chiefs-of-Staff of Chiefs of the countries participating in the regional protection force during July.

The director of the Neighbouring Countries Department at Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Bukhari Ghanim said his country’s delegation to the IGAD meeting in Juba would be headed by the foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour.

He told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) Tuesday that Sudan works within the framework of the IGAD countries to achieve peace in South Sudan, pointing to the existence of a number of joint committees between Juba and Khartoum.

The Sudanese diplomat called for the need to make further official and popular contacts between the two countries, pointing to the importance to achieve understandings on the outstanding issues between Juba and Khartoum.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9th, 2011 following a referendum on whether the semi-autonomous region should remain a part of the country or become independent. 99% of the southern voters chose independence.

(ST)