South Sudan’s political rivals, President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar have agreed to extend the transition period and delay the setting up of a national unity government, senior officials in Kampala, Uganda confirmed on Thursday.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni chaired a Tripartite Summit on the Revitalized Agreement seeking to resolve the South Sudanese conflict which began in 2013.
During the summit attended by President Kiir and the leader of SPLA-O Riek Machar, a number of resolutions were made among them extending the pre-transitional period for 100 days, with a review of progress after 50 days.
The 100 days extension starts on 12th November 2019 when the new unity government was supposed to come into effect.
It was also agreed that a mechanism will be established for guarantors and parties to supervise the implementation of the talks.
The summit also resolved to ask IGAD countries to address the status of Dr Machar and also urged the international community to continue supporting this revitalised peace process.
Also present was Abdalftah Alburhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan also co-guarantor of the 2018 peace agrrement and Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s Special Envoy on South Sudan.
South Sudan has been plunged into civil turmoil since 2013, but the formation of a unity government was anticipated as the return of peace to Africa’s youngest nation.
The turmoil has left about two million South Sudanese displaced in different countries.
Uganda is hosting about 800,000 South Sudan refugees.
CN/as/APA