Tanzanian Leader Meets S. Sudan Rivals

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete on Monday met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and the latter's former vice-president, Riek Machar, in an attempt to reconcile the warring camps.



The meeting follows a week-long dialogue between rival factions within South Sudan's ruling Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which began in Arusha on October 12 behind closed doors.



The three leaders will later join a wider session of talks attended by representatives of rival SPLM factions.



The fresh round of talks is being sponsored by Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.



"The talks [are] aimed at resolving the internal strife which has claimed thousands of lives [in South Sudan]," CCM Secretary-General Abdulrahaman Kinana told Anadolu Agency earlier Monday.



"During the week-long discussions, we agreed to establish a framework for the SPLM dialogue, including shared principles, objectives and an agenda," he said.



"The initial phase of the dialogue was held in a frank, honest and cordial manner," added Kinana.



South Sudan, which became the world's newest nation in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, descended into bloodshed late last year following an alleged coup attempt against Kiir by Machar.



Hundreds of thousands of people have since lost their lives, while more than 1.7 million have been displaced by the conflict.



In recent months, South Sudan's warring camps have held on-again, off-again peace talks in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), a Djibouti-based East African regional bloc.



The ongoing turmoil in South Sudan has dimmed its prospects for joining the Arusha-headquartered East African Community (EAC), which has urged the troubled country to first put its house in order.



By Peter Saramba Ongiri



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Tanzanya