Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Sudan’s warring generals are yet to agree on a meeting venue to negotiate a peace deal, despite the South Sudanese government sending them a proposal two days ago.
According to Reech Agok, press secretary for the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, the warring generals have acknowledged South Sudan’s proposal for roundtable peace talks but are yet to agree on the time and venue.
“The presidency and the ministry of foreign affairs have sent the proposal, and we are waiting for them to mention their preferred location for a peace meeting and the envoys they intend to send to this meeting,” Agok told The City Review yesterday.
The arrival of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Kenya on a two-day visit on Wednesday prompted the acting minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Deng Dau Deng, to travel to Nairobi for the meeting.
Agok stated that the presence of the minister will help Mr. Guterres get a clear picture of the situation in Sudan, as they plan to send humanitarian aid there.
As Sudan’s neighbours, continent, and international community work around the clock to end the conflict and maintain a permanent ceasefire, fighting continues behind the scenes.
The Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan Armed Forces have been exchanging accusations online about a breach of the week-long humanitarian armistice.
“Our forces and civilians have been subjected to indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment in a cowardly manner, constituting a flagrant violation of international norms, laws, and humanitarian principles,” read the RSF statement on Twitter.
The Sudanese army has also accused the RSF of using hospitals and civilian-populated areas as human shields and converting them into military bases.
During a press conference in Nairobi, the UN Secretary-General said he was taken by surprise that Sudan would be in conflict again after years of suffering.
“The UN was taken by surprise” by the conflict because the world body and others were hopeful that negotiations towards a civilian transition would be successful, the UN chief told reporters in Nairobi Wednesday.
“To the extent that we and many others were not expecting this to happen, we can say we failed to prevent it from happening.” “A country like Sudan, which has suffered so much, cannot afford a struggle for power between two people,” Gutteres added.
As President Kiir works around the clock to ensure the warring parties keep their end of the bargain, the Kenyan government and UN agencies are preparing to devise a method for humanitarian aid to reach Sudan.
President Kiir was instrumental in the forces agreeing to a seven-day ceasefire, which will aid in the delivery of humanitarian aid to those stranded along Sudan’s borders.
The Sudanese regular army issued a statement on Wednesday thanking IGAD leaders for proposing “African solutions” to end the Sudan war.
It also stated that it was considering a Saudi-US bid to end the fighting, as the Sudan conflict will be discussed later this week when Arab League foreign ministers meet ahead of the summit in Saudi Arabia later this month.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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