Key African leaders, including Museveni and Ruto, skipped the IGAD summit on South Sudan’s security crisis. They sent representatives instead, while the summit called for dialogue between South Sudan’s leaders and highlighted the importance of the 2018 peace agreement in light of escalating violence and tensions. IGAD continues to mediate peace efforts in the region.
On Wednesday, key African leaders, including Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Ali Abiy, did not attend the 43rd Extraordinary Assembly of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) addressing the South Sudan crisis. The virtual summit was led by Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and focused on the grave security challenges in South Sudan. Somalia’s President, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was the only leader present.
Instead of attending, the three leaders designated representatives for the meeting. Ethiopia’s Dr. Gideon Timothewos, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented Prime Minister Abiy; Kenya’s National Security Advisor, Dr. Monica Juma, represented President Ruto; and President Museveni was represented by three ministers, including Jacob Marksons Oboth, Minister of Defence, and Henry Oryem Okello, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Despite their absence from the summit, both Museveni and Ruto have reportedly engaged with the conflicting parties in South Sudan regarding the worsening security situation. The summit urged President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar to pursue dialogue as the means to resolution of their differences. The released communique emphasized that dialogue and the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) are integral to the peace process.
The assembly expressed profound concern over the deteriorating security in South Sudan, characterized by escalating violence and violations of ceasefire agreements. It voiced alarm regarding rising tensions following specific incidents such as the Nasir event and the apprehension of SPLM/A-IO officials. IGAD continues to play a crucial role as the guarantor of the 2018 peace agreement, which established a national unity government after previous failed attempts at peace, including a 2015 agreement following a brutal civil war beginning in 2013.
In summary, the recent IGAD summit, aimed at addressing the security crisis in South Sudan, proceeded without prominent leaders Museveni, Ruto, and Abiy, who were represented by delegates. The summit urged continued dialogue between the South Sudanese leaders, highlighting the importance of the 2018 peace agreement amidst rising tensions and violence in the region. IGAD remains central to efforts to mediate and sustain peace in South Sudan, following prior agreements that have faltered in the past.
Original Source: chimpreports.com
