South Sudanese President Salva Kiir was due in South Africa on Wednesday for a two-day working visit during which he would engage in bilateral talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The South Sudan government said in a statement on Wednesday that Kiir had left Juba for Pretoria where he would meet with Ramaphosa.
“Their discussions will focus on advancing peace and stability in South Sudan as well as strengthening ties between the two nations,” the statement said.
The visit followed the recent Nairobi Tumaini peace initiative, which Kiir is keen to update Ramaphosa on.
The Tumaini (‘hope’ in Swahili) Peace Initiative for South Sudan seeks a final peace settlement by including armed groups that have not signed the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
The Nairobi Tumaini initiative was a high-powered event held in the Kenyan capital in May and graced by six heads of state and high-ranking officials and diplomats from across the world.
The event witnessed an attempt to settle the history of armed conflicts in South Sudan once and for all, with the participants signing a commitment document stating their willingness to remain engaged in the talks and to renounce violence.
JN/APA