By Deng Machol
Juba – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has called for a consultative meeting of all political parties in the country in preparations for the upcoming Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)‘s peace revitalization forum at the end of April in Ethiopia.
This came out in a meeting with his deputies – Taban Deng Gai and James Wani Igga – on Thursday. The consultative meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 19th of April in Juba.
The presidential press unit quotes the vice president, James Wani Igga – as saying that the meeting will focus on the framework of arrangements for the success of the forum.
“The consultative meeting between the political parties, which will be held next Monday in Juba, within the framework of arrangements to attend the upcoming phase of the High Level of the Revitalization forum to revive the peace agreement to be held at the end of April,” Igga said.
Vice President Igga further said that the presidency meeting also discussed the reunification of the SPLM factions, which he said it will take place on the 19th of this month in the capital, Juba.
The country’s vice president invited all the SPLM factions including that of Dr. Riek Machar, who is leading rebel groups.
In November last year, the SPLM Political Bureau and the Former Detainees signed a document to speed up the implementation of the 2015 Arusha Declaration.
The deal dubbed Cairo Declaration was signed in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
The Former Detainees and SPLM – in opposition under Riek Machar have not yet to comment on this development.
South Sudan attained independence from Sudan in July 2011 after a referendum, becoming the world’s newest country. But after two years a country returned to another civil war, which broke out in December 2013, after power struggling between Dr. Machar and President Salva Kiir within ruling party, known as SPLM,leaving the country devastated in its wake.
The split within the SPLM, has resulted to tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions of the people have displaced from their homes since the outbreak conflict in late 2013 in Juba.
Despite the unwavering effort of IGAD to bring the fractions together, by signing compromise peace agreement in 2015, but the warring parties’ desecrated within few months. Several ceasefire deal has signed but violated in day time.
However, the peace’s revitalization forum is set as a last chance for the warring parties to stop fighting, according to the IGAD.
