June 24th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said in a communique issued today in Addis Ababa following the 32nd extraordinary meeting of the head of state and government that the regional bloc will decide and deleberate on the final status of the Chairman and Commander in Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon.
Machar returned to South Africa on Saturday after having been asked by the EThiopian Prime Minister to return back to Pretoria.
“[The IGAD] decides to deliberate on his (Machar) final status at the upcoming Ordinary Summit of the IGAD Assembly,” partly read the IGAD communique.
The communique also said Machar should move to any country of his choice outside the IGAD countries and would also be allowed to enter and exit Kenya and Sudan during the duration of the peace process pending a final decision by the regional communique over his detention.
“[The IGAD] decides that the SPLM/A-IO leader H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny be free to leave the Republic of South Africa to any country of his choice except the IGAD region; and that he shall be allowed to enter into and exit from Sudan and Kenya for the duration of the peace process,” the statement further said.
The communique also said it tasked Kenyan President to conduct another meeting between Kiir and Machar.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta will facilitate a third round of face-to-face discussion between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr Riek Machar Teny in Nairobi to facilitate the revitalization process and report the outcome and way forward to the upcoming Ordinary Session of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government,” partly read the IGAD communique issued today in Addis Ababa.
The meeting, according to the IGAD communique, will discuss and resolve the outstanding issues on governance and security arrangements including measures proposed in the revised Bridging Proposal of the IGAD Council of Ministers as well as measures to be taken to rehabilitate the South Sudanese economy through bilateral cooperation between the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan.
