The last effort of realizing peace in South Sudan now rests on President Salva Kiir meeting with opposition leader, Riek Machar.
According to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers in Addis Ababa who had a meeting on Friday, the two leaders must agree between themselves.
The council members concluded that it is time the two leaders met face to face an agree on the way forward for the world’s youngest nation.
IGAD will set a date for the two leaders to meet rather than sending their representatives. The date has to be decided by the IGAD heads of state meeting before the AU meeting in July.
President Kiir had made it clear that he can no longer work with Dr Machar, who leads the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO).
Similarly, Machar who has been under house arrest in South Africa since November 2016 says he has lost all trust in President Kiir.
In his part, Ethiopia’s Ambassador Tekeda Alemu warned against sanctions on South Sudan leaders saying they could lead to the collapse of the regional peace effort by IGAD.
