Off the wire
• Bulgaria adopts development strategy for mining industry  • News Analysis: After nuclear deal, Italy targets Iran trade opportunities  • Singapore launches new scheme to deploy foreign manpower flexibly  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Aug. 19  • Indian stocks close higher  • Death toll rises to 109 under Egypt's heatwave  • Low-cost airlines carry half of traffic at Spanish airports in July  • Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 1000GMT, Aug. 19  • Bodies of Indonesian plane crash being transferred to hospital for identification  • China injects liquidity into market via MLF  
You are here: 　 Home

Regional bloc urges S. Sudan gov't to sign agreement towards ending crisis

Xinhua, August 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has said it continues encouraging the government of South Sudan to do its consultation and to conclude the agreement, which the other South Sudanese parties and stakeholders have signed towards ending the 20 months conflict in the country.

Under the IGAD-Plus mediation, Riek Machar and Pagan Amum representatives of SPLM/SPLA in opposition and former detainees respectively as well as other South Sudanese stakeholders signed the agreement on Monday in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The IGAD-Plus mediation had put August 17 a deadline that the parties would sign an agreement to end the war in the world's youngest nation, and the government delegation led by South Sudan President Salva Kiir requested for some days to make consultations with constituency and come back in two weeks to complete the agreement.

Seyoum Mesfin, IGAD Chief Mediator, told reporters on Wednesday here in Addis Ababa that the mediation would continue encouraging the government to make the consultation and conclude the agreement.

"We all are aware that the government wanted further consultation with their constituency; they have asked for 15 days postponement of the signing of this agreement by them," recalled Seyoum.

"And our agenda now is to continue encouraging the government to do their consultation and to come back and sign the agreement, join their compatriots, join the other parties who have signed the agreement and proceed into the implementation; failing to do so shall not be an option," he said.

Reiterating that the 20-month crisis in South Sudan is a senseless war, the Chief Mediator underlined the need that it must come to an end.

"Signing this agreement and moving fast towards implementing this agreement would definitely bring South Sudan back to peace and tranquility. And it would eventually, it definitely transform South Sudan into a new paradigm, into a new political dispensation where at the end of the transition we hope an elected government will take responsibility in leading the country," noted Seyoum. Endit