AU delegation urges S. Sudan parties to commit to peace process
April 21, 2018 (JUBA) – The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) delegation on Thursday urged all parties involved in the South Sudan conflict to honour their commitments to the peace process.
The mission, at the end of their six-day visit to the war-torn nation, urged the warring parties to allow for genuine reconciliation and healing and ensure that next round of high level revitalization forum (HLRF) succeeds.
“The PSC delegation assured all stakeholders of AU’s readiness and determination to spare no efforts in supporting IGAD and the South Sudanese parties to overcome the challenges facing the peace process,” the delegation said in a joint statement.
The AU team, which was headed Nigeria’s Bankole Adeoye, expressed the solidarity and total support of the African Union towards finding lasting peace in South Sudan.
“The PSC delegation reiterated the AU’s appreciation to IGAD, neighboring countries and UNMISS, as well as international partners for their relentless efforts to help restore sustainable peace, security and stability in South Sudan,” it noted Thursday.
The AU team’s visit followed the visit by the chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat to South Africa to meet South Sudan leader, Riek Machar.
The AU delegation interacted with all South Sudanese stakeholders, African and international actors, to assess the challenges still impeding the implementation of the 2015 agreement on the resolution of the South Sudan conflict.
The AU mission team said it looks forward to a new schedule for the concluding phase of the peace talks to provide opportunities for more consultations with all stakeholders.
They stressed the important role of the AU High Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, with a view to restoring the long awaited peace in the country and put an end to the humanitarian challenges, particularly the suffering of the South Sudanese.
During their interactions, the mission shared concern with Juba on the centrality of Hybrid Court to the peace process and underscored the need for enhanced cooperation between the AU and the Government towards firming up all arrangements for the establishment of the Court in pursuit of transitional justice.
The South Sudanese government and several rebel groups in December 2017 signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in a bid to end fighting and revive the stalled peace deal, but the truce was broken the same day it came into effect on Dec. 24, 2017.
South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by Machar, the country’s former first vice-president since mid-December 2013. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced almost over 2 million people from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled into neighbouring nations.
A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders led to the establishment of a coalition government in April 2016, which later on collapsed.
(ST)