South Sudan peace talks to resume next week

Salva Kiir (L), President of South Sudan, and Riek Machar (R), SPLM Opposition leader, hand over the Cessation of Hostilities treaty over the war in South Sudan on May 9, 2014 in Addis Ababa. AFP 

By Andualem Sisay

In Summary

• Since a truce was signed in May, it has been repeatedly broken with the worst hostilities since taking place on Sunday in the town of Nassir.

The stalled South Sudanese peace talks between government and the opposition will resume on July 30, 2014, the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has said.

The agenda of the next session will be to finalise and sign the Cessation of Hostilities Matrix and negotiation on details of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), a statement from IGAD's said.

Igad noted that it has been in consultation with various actors since the adjournment of the peace talks on June 23, 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. "The main objective of the consultations was to take stock of the progress, challenges and chart the way forward, particularly in the implementation of the resolutions of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government Summit meeting of 10th June 2014," the statement said.

"The resolutions of the Summit included the commitment by the two Principals to the conflict, Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) and Dr. Riek Machar, former Vice-President of the RSS and leader of SPLM/A (in opposition), "to end the war"; and to establish a Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) that will offer the best chance for the people of South Sudan to take the country forward," IGAD said.

The world's youngest state has been at war since late 2013 with thousands of South Sudanese killed and over a million people displaced from their homes. Since a truce was signed in May, it has been repeatedly broken with the worst hostilities between the warring parties taking place on Sunday in the town of Nassir.

Igad and the AU also condemned the Sunday hostilities.

READ: South Sudan truce crumbles as rebels battle govt forces

The UN mission in South Sudan and other relief agencies have repeatedly warned of a looming famine as a result of prolonged fighting in the country.

READ: South Sudanese children starving while aid falling short