Sudan Prime Minister Hamdok In Juba To Discuss Bilateral Ties, SPLM – IO Split .

By Deng Machol

Juba - Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is also the head of IGAD is in Juba for a two day visit to discuss bilateral issues and to help the transitional government address the issues related to the fragile revitalized peace deal.

Prime Minister landed Thursday's morning in Juba International Airport, accompanied by the Minister of Trade, the Minister of Defense, the Minister for  Foreign Affairs and several advisors. 

Dr. Hamdok’s engagement with the transitional government will also seek to address the current political situation and wrangles within the SPLM/A-IO in the country.

There have been clashes between the SPLA-IO faction led by General Simon Gatwech and those loyal to Dr. Riek Machar in Kit-gwang Magenis area followed ousted Dr. Machar as the head of party and its army forces.

As the chairperson of IGAD, Hamdok will discuss the violation of the ceasefire in some areas in South Sudan.

South Sudan’s Minister for  Foreign Affairs, Beatrice Khamisa Wani who received the delegation says, Hamdok who is also the Chairperson of IGAD, is expected to meet President Salva Kiir and other government officials to discuss the implementation of peace process. 

"He [Hamdok] will discuss with President Salva Kiir the issues of the implementation of the peace agreement and especially the recent developments in Magenis and so forth,” Khamisa told the media at Juba International Airport on Thursday in Juba.

Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, says the visit is in the context of the region’s concern about the political developments in south sudan, and Sudan’s support for the implementation of the peace agreement.

“Overseeing the implementation of the peace agreement, yes we all commended and we are observing the very positive developments that are taking place within the implementation of the peace agreement but there is still observed slowness and many of the observations regarding the integration of the armed groups,” said Minister Al - Mariam.

Despite that the peace deal paused the country's six years of conflict, there is slow progress in the implementation of the  peace process and the unification of armed forces.

The infighting within the vice president Dr. Machar's party a weeks ago is undermining an already unstable ruling alliance formed in earlier 2020.

The two head of States are also expected to tackle the issues of the Abyei Administrative Area, UNISFA, the border, and how to improve relations between the two sisterly countries.