South Sudanese during the celebrations of the independence from the Sudan on July 9, 2011 in Juba.
By ARNALDO VIEIRA in Luanda
In Summary
- Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said that lasting peace and security would only be restored once a ceasefire was secured.
- International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) also discussed the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
- The summit was attended by presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Joseph Kabila of DRC, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
Africa leaders meeting in Angola said they remained hopeful that a peace deal on South Sudan would be struck soon, even as they admitted ongoing truce talks faced challenges.
Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said that
lasting peace and security would only be restored once a ceasefire was
secured.
"The rival groups will soon sign a peace deal
though the situation is still complicated," he told a press conference
after hosting regional heads of states in Luanda for talks over
insecurity.
Reconciliation would also begin immediately
hostilities ceased, he added, while appealing for more humanitarian aid
for the strife-torn country.
"Angola ... will
focus its assistance on the humanitarian side to support the peace
process and transition to democracy," said President Santos.
The International Conference on the Great Lakes
Region (ICGLR) also discussed the situations in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
The summit was attended by presidents Uhuru
Kenyatta of Kenya, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda,
Joseph Kabila of DRC, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and Jacob Zuma of
South Africa.
US special envoy for the Great Lakes
Region-cum-Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Russell D. Feingold
and the UN envoy for ICGLR Mary Robinson also attended the summit.
The ICGLR bloc includes 12 states: Angola,
Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan,
Tanzania and Zambia.
Mr Santos will head the bloc for the next one year, before ceding leadership at the next annual summit set for Nairobi.
The conflict in South Sudan erupted on December
15, pitting army units loyal to President Salva Kiir agains
According to the United Nations, about 400,000
civilians have fled the country, while think-tank International Crisis
Group says 10,000 have so far been killed.
Africa Review
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