Oct 22, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The thrilled regional leaders are landing in Juba, South Sudan, for a one day IGAD summit to push for a “speedy resolution” to the 10-month South Sudan conflict.
According to Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who arrives in Juba, the regional leaders are converging in Juba to revitalize the stalled IGAD peace process.
“Departing for a one day official visit to Juba, South Sudan, where I will attend the IGAD Summit. Kenya is committed to a speedy resolution to the South Sudan conflict.” Kenyatta states as he leaves Nairobi, Kenya, this morning.
South Sudan peace talks and the newly initiated Intra-SPLM Dialogue have yield significant progresses in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The IGAD led Peace process, which stalled in the fifth round, was adjourned to allow further consultations on power sharing and the system of governance protocols.
While president Salva Kiir has met president Yoweri Museveni during the consultations, Dr. Machar met president Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, last week.
The two principals have once again met in Arusha on Monday to witness the signing of the Intra-SPLM Dialogue Framework and Communique by the delegates of the three SPLM factions.
The Arusha initiative avails an opportunity for the SPLM party to discuss the root causes of the current conflict, initiate measures to end the war, re-vitalize, re-organized and strengthen the SPLM party, restore the SPLM vision, develop mechanisms to generate resources, promote and foster the spirit and exercise of collective leadership on transparency and accountability.
The Dialogue has so far registered significant processes as the principal leaders, Salva Kiir Mayardiit and Dr. Riek Machar, accepted mutual responsibility for a 10-month civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over one million people.
For the first time, the leaders acknowledged “collective responsibility for the crisis in South Sudan that has taken a great toll on the lives and property of our people”
The SPLM leaders pledge strong commitment to resolve the conflict through peaceful mediation.
“There is no reason for our people to suffer again after independence,” Kiir said.
“We do not want this opportunity to go away like other opportunities before,” Machar said.
The commitment renewed hopes and prompt the regional leaders to convince and encourage speedy resolutions to end the conflict, however, president Salva Kiir believes that the regional body has failed.
“IGAD has failed. We are doing it for record purposes not that something will be done,” he said.
While the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, will be represented by his newly appointed Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta and the Ethiopia Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, will attend the summit.
The stalled IGAD peace mediation is expected to resumed on Monday, 27th October, 2014 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
