South Sudan’s Kiir leaves for Ethiopia to attend IGAD summit

November 29, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Friday left the young nation for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

President Kiir, the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) reported on Thursday, was seen off at the airport by First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai.

While in Addis Ababa, the South Sudan leader will join other regional leaders attending the 13th ordinary IGAD summit.

The need by the regional leaders to push South Sudanese leaders to fully implement the country’s revitalized peace agreement is likely to dominate the IGAD summit.

The summit, according to the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO), is also expected to determine the status their leader, Riek Machar, under house arrest since 2016.

On November 7, President Kiir and the country’s main opposition leader Machar agreed to delay key benchmarks in the revitalized peace agreement by 100 days.

The delay in forming a national unity government on November 12 came after Machar’s group raised concerns that the country’s security arrangements are still incomplete.

South Sudan descended into civil war in mid-December 2013 when President Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup, allegations the latter dismissed.

In September last year, the country’s rival factions signed a revitalized peace deal to end the civil war that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

(ST)