Kenya Calls on South Sudan Leaders to Pursue Dialogue for Peace
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On March 7, Kenyan President William Ruto urged South Sudan's leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, to engage in dialogue amid escalating tensions threatening a crucial peace agreement established after a five-year civil war.
Key Takeaways
- Kenya's President Ruto calls for peace in South Sudan.
- Dialogue encouraged between Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.
- Clashes in Upper Nile State exacerbate tensions.
- Over 20 casualties reported in Nasir.
- 2018 peace deal faces potential jeopardy.
Nairobi, March 7 (NationPress) Kenyan President William Ruto has urged for tranquility in South Sudan, where a deteriorating security situation poses a risk to a peace agreement that concluded a five-year civil conflict.
Ruto, who addressed South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar on Thursday, encouraged both leaders to initiate discussions to promote peace in the nation, while the region strives to stabilize South Sudan through a regional framework.
"I also informed the two leaders that regional consultations are underway to determine the best path forward for the situation in South Sudan," the presidency stated in a communiqué released in Nairobi on Thursday evening.
Ruto, as Chairman of the East African Community, made this appeal following clashes that erupted in Upper Nile State in mid-February between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and armed civilian groups known as the White Army.
The violence in Nasir, a key town, has heightened tensions this week in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, resulting in the detention of senior government and military figures from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), led by Machar.
Reports indicate that over 20 individuals have been killed, with numerous others injured on the outskirts of Nasir, now abandoned, situated on the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Machar's spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, announced on Thursday that two ministers and senior military officials allied with Machar were detained this week, while additional senior military officials were placed under house arrest by security personnel.
Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Services, confirmed the arrests on Wednesday, stating that the officials were detained for legal infractions.
He accused the opposition SPLM/A-IO of assaulting government positions in Nasir on Tuesday, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Machar, whose political rivalry with Kiir has previously ignited civil war, condemned the removal of some of his allies from governmental roles in February, asserting that it jeopardizes the 2018 peace deal between the two factions.
The agreement, designed to conclude years of civil unrest, has encountered consistent delays and hurdles, especially in merging armed groups into a unified national army.
