IGAD hails Salva Kiir, but asks him to control his army commanders

The IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government has supported President Salva Kiir’s decision to launch a national dialogue, but said the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) remains the only viable way to fully resolving conflict in the country.

The  IGAD leaders welcomed the recent declaration by Kiir of a unilateral ceasefire in South Sudan and called upon him  to follow up the strict implementation of the ceasefire. IGAD urged him to ensure that his field commanders respect the ceasefire, and that he take swift measure against those who violate his decision.

In this connection, IGAD Summit also urged the armed opposition groups to reciprocate the call for a ceasefire as well as to renounce violence.

The 31st Extra-Ordinary Summit, in Addis Ababa, under the chairmanship of Ethiopa’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, met June 12 to discuss  the current situation in South Sudan and IGAD institutional matters. The Summit of IGAD Heads of State also received a briefing on the state of preparations towards the elections in Kenya.

The leaders encouraged Kenyans to be peaceful during the electioneering period, and called upon external actors to respect the sovereign rights of Kenyans to choose their own leaders without interference.

Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD), is an 8-member economic bloc that brings together Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda. (see full communique at bottom)

Highlights of the IGAD summit

• Summit calls upon all the parties to take urgent steps to draw concrete plan and timeline to compensate the delay and to revitalize the full implementation of the ARCSS
• Welcomed the launching of a national dialogue by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on 22nd May 2017 and urgedTGoNU to make the process all inclusive, genuine and transparent as well as complement the ARCSS;
• Welcomed the recent declaration by President Salva Kiir Mayardit of a unilateral ceasefire and calls upon the President to follow up the strict implementation of the ceasefire and ensure that his field commanders respect the ceasefire and take swift measure against those who violate his decision.
• Condemned in the strongest terms the violence and armed conflict that continues to be perpetrated by government forces as well as all other armed groups in South Sudan targeting defenceless civilians
• The summit noted the long delay of the deployment of the Regional Protection Force (RPF) and decides to convene a meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs).
• Expressed concern on the obstacles facing humanitarian agencies including killings of humanitarian personnel and denial of access to deliver humanitarian supplies.
• To urgently convene a High-level Revitalization Forum of the parties to the ARCSS including estranged groups to discuss concrete measures, to restore permanent ceasefire, to full implementation of the Peace Agreement and to develop a revised and realistic timeline and implementation schedule towards a democratic election at the end of the transition period.
• Decides to hold a Resilience Summit on 31st August 2017 in Addis Ababa, preceded by IGAD Council of Ministers on 29th – 30th August 2017
• Appoints Dr Mohamed Ali Guyo as the IGAD Special Envoy for Somalia
• Appoints Amb Ismail Wais as the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan
• Assembly was attended by H.E. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan; H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda; H.E. Taban Deng Gai, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan; H.E. Hassan Ali Khaire, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia; H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Djibouti; and H.E. Amina Chawahir Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Kenya.

On KENYA

• Encouraged Kenyans to be peaceful during the electioneering period, and calls upon external actors to respect the sovereign rights of Kenyans to choose their own leaders without interferenc.

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President Museveni has held a meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa.

The meeting took place shortly before the official starting of the 31st Extraordinary Summit of the Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of State.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister is the current Chairman of IGAD, an 8-member economic bloc that brings together Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.

At the last summit in March that focussed on Somalia, President Uhuru Kenyatta  made an appeal to the international community to act right to fully bring back Somalia into the fold of the international community of nations.

Kenyatta rooted for durable solutions to the Somali refugees problem, and said the recent presidential elections in Somalia is the latest indication that Somalia is on the right track.

He credited the determination of Somalia’s people, the commitment by the African Union and the support of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for the progress.

My message to my South Sudan brothers is to silence the guns and give dialogue a chance #IGADSummit @igadsecretariat #Somalia pic.twitter.com/o8VMrcuQ4x

— SomaliPM (@SomaliPM) June 12, 2017

Communique of the 31st Extra-Ordinary IGAD Summit in Addis Ababa on South Sudan by The Independent Magazine on Scribd