KHARTOUM – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will convene a meeting of the heads of state and government on South Sudan this week, Nyamilepedia reported quoting an opposition official.
In the meeting, one opposition official says, the regional leaders will decide the status of the SPLM-IO chairman Dr. Riek Machar Teny and will also give a directive on the number and boundaries of states.
“The IGAD will meet this week in Addis Ababa to discuss only South Sudan’s peace process,” Puok Both Baluang, SPLM-IO director of information and public relations said from the Sudanese capital Khartoum this morning.
South Sudan government and opposition groups signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement in September 2018.
The agreement provided for the formation of a unity government in which President Kiir will retain his position as president and SPLM-IO leader Machar to take up his previous position as first vice president.
However, that action has not been taken given disagreement over number of issues such as the formation of unified national army and the determination of the number and boundaries of states.
Efforts by South African Vice President David Mabuza failed last month when he proposed that the issue of states be handled through arbitration.
The parties are also expected to meet in Juba today in hope to finalize the issue.
