Salva Kiir engages in mediation efforts to resolve Sudan’s conflict ahead of IGAD meeting

January 11, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan is actively engaged in mediating the ongoing conflict in Sudan, seeking to bring about a peaceful resolution through regional cooperation.

South Sudanese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goch confirmed to Sudan Tribune that President Salva Kiir is actively engaging with Sudanese leaders, including Transitional Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, to promote a ceasefire and peace dialogue.

“President Kiir is still engaging with his brother General al-Burhan and General Daglo to embrace regional efforts and engage in peaceful dialogue,” Goch emphasized.

He also disclosed that regional leaders from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Somalia are planning an emergency summit in Sudan in the coming days.

“There are consultations at the higher level about when the meeting will be held, but I know it will be held in the coming days,” Goch explained.

“His Excellency the President of Uganda has been approached by the secretariat to host this meeting, and this has been accepted. The outcome of this meeting will be useful in the long overdue face-to-face meeting.”

According to a letter seen by Sudan Tribune from the Djibouti foreign minister to his counterparts in the IGAD countries on January 11, the extraordinary meeting will take place on Thursday, January 18.

In separate statements, South Sudan’s Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol reaffirmed the government’s commitment to mediating the conflict in Sudan, expressing hope for a swift return to peace.

“As the government of the Republic of South Sudan, we do not like what is happening in Sudan, and for this reason, his Excellency President Kiir has been reaching out to all the groups in the conflict to accept peace,” Chol stressed. “We have been receiving non-armed political groups here and allowed them to hold their discussions to forge understanding and build consensus on how the conflict could be peacefully and amicably resolved.”

South Sudan remains a key player in the region’s efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to Sudan’s conflict, recognizing that a prolonged crisis in Sudan could have detrimental effects on its economy and security.