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S. Sudan's peace monitors meet in Khartoum over peace deal

Xinhua, August 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

The third meeting of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), tasked with overseeing implementation of South Sudan peace deal, began on Sunday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour addressed the opening session, saying that the peace deal should be implemented soon to help the warring factions in South Sudan to "avoid the return to conflict and war."

The meeting is under chairmanship of the JMEC Chairman Festus Mogae in the presence of envoys of China, Norway, the U.S. and the EU as well as partners of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The foreign minister said the meeting would discuss recent developments in South Sudan and the implementation of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict brokered by IGAD.

Special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, Zhong Jianhua, said that "we came here because South Sudan is now in a very critical situation."

The meetings came following the outbreak of fighting between the South Sudanese army and troops of the opposition leader and First Vice President Riek Machar on July 8.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir appointed former opposition chief negotiator Taban Deng Gai to replace Machar who disappeared following the bloody events in the capital Juba.

The opposition described president's move as a "conspiracy" to remove Machar, vowing to escalate the war against the government of President Kiir. Endit