South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir (right) and opposition leader Riek
Machar make peace at the 33rd Extraordinary Summit of Igad in Addis
Ababa on September 12, 2018. PHOTO | AFP
The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), the Horn
of Africa's regional stability watchdog, has called a meeting to iron
out friction between President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader Dr
Riek Machar over formation of a government of National Unity.
IGAD
Special Envoy to South Sudan Imail Wais asked all the parties on
Thursday to attend a meeting on May 2 and 3 aimed at reaching a
consensus on formation of the new government.
Delays in
creating a neutral security force and enacting legislation essential to
improving governance have led to a clash between President Kiir and Dr
Machar on whether the new government should be formed on May 12, as
scheduled.
“I write to invite you to a meeting of the
leadership of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in
South Sudan regarding the status of the implementation of the peace
agreement and the way forward that is scheduled to be held in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, from 2 to 3 May 2019,” a letter signed by Ambassador
Wais read.
It also asked the South Sudan parties to the peace pact to send 3 delegates each.
President
Kiir insisted this week he was ready to form the new government on May
12 as agreed last year and invited Machar to return to Juba.
Earlier Dr Machar had called for a six month extension, foremost
to allow for integration of rival forces into one army and its
training.
He also raised concerns over the number of states.
Dr
Machar further threatened to withdraw from the peace process if his
demands were not met, sparking fears of a return to another civil war.
The two arch-rival signed a peace deal last September in Addis Ababa- Ethiopia under the auspices of Igad.
The
agreement charged the two foes to work together again for the second
time after the collapse of 2015 peace deal in 2016 which resulted to Dr
Machar’s escape to South Africa.
The war has claimed nearly 400,000 lives and left millions displaced.
Two
weeks ago the two leaders attended a retreat at the Vatican where pope
Francis kissed their feet, urging them to pursue peace.
The
humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is East Africa's worst after the
Rwanda 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, according to the UN.
Half of South Sudan’s population remains displaced some out of the country and others within the country.
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