|
An intra-party dialogue between members of South Sudan's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) kicked off Wednesday in Addis Ababa in hopes of finding – and resolving – the root causes of continued infighting between leading movement members.
Members from the Juba government's politburo, along with seven former party officials released from detention by Juba two months ago, attended the dialogue's opening session in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
Launched on April 5 by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the initiative – dubbed the SPLM Intra-Party Dialogue Forum – aims to find the root causes of the South Sudan conflict, which has raged for months between leading SPLM members.
The initiative was initially floated by the ruling parties of South Africa and Ethiopia – the African National Congress and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, respectively.
"It is believed that the forum will positively influence the outcome of the [ongoing] South Sudan peace process being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)," Ambassador Tewolde Gebremeskel, director of IGAD's secretariat, told Anadolu Agency.
However, the forum was shunned by an SPLM breakaway group – the self-styled "SPLM in opposition," which backs sacked South Sudanese vice president Riek Machar, who is currently in open rebellion against South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Nevertheless, seven SPLM leaders – who had been among 11 senior officials and party leaders rounded up after Kiir accused Machar of trying to overthrow his government, but who were later released – will join Wednesday's meetings.
Tewolde described the South Sudan peace process as "slower than originally thought," going on to voice hope that the dialogue initiative would serve to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, Desalegn commended efforts exerted by Ethiopia's and South Africa's ruling parties, which, he said, aim to bring peace to the war-torn country.
Desalegn's statements were made at a Tuesday meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma's special envoy, Cyril Ramafoza, Ethiopia's state-run ENA news agency reported.
The prime minister also voiced hope that the SPLM's inter-party dialogue initiative would resolve the internal problems that had led to South Sudan's current crisis.
By Addis Getachew
englishnews@aa.com.tr - Addis Ababa
|
Poem
Manşetler
Spor
Son Dakika
Haber
Yerel Haberler
