The Heads of State and Government Summit of member countries of the Inter-Governmental Authority and Development (IGAD) have appealed to the United Nations to give the issue of peace and security in South Sudan, the fullest attention it deserves in order to end the suffering of the people of South Sudan.
The 2-day Extra-ordinary Summit that opened yesterday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is being attended by leaders of member states of IGAD that include Presidents Yoweri Museveni, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Omar el Bashir of the Sudan, Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn of Ethiopia and Somali Premier Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud.
The Summit that has been convened at short notice by the Chairperson of IGAD, who is Ethiopian Prime Minister, Mr. Haile Mariam Desalegn, is consulting on the security situation in South Sudan.
While opening the IGAD Summit at the Grand Palace in Addis Ababa yesterday afternoon, Mr. Haile Mariam Desalegn strongly urged the warring parties in South Sudan to abide by the resolutions reached by IGAD Heads of State and Government in order to give peace a chance to prevail in that country.
Premier Haile Marial Desalegn, who thanked international partners for their support in the quest to restore sanity in the country, also hoped that the Summit would this time make a breakthrough for the restoration of peace in South Sudan.
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Ms. Dlamini Zuma commended IGAD for its tireless efforts to resolve the problem in South Sudan and called on both parties in that country to end the bloodshed.
The United States Special Envoy on South Sudan, Ambassador Donald Booth, on behalf of the international partners helping in resolving the impasse in South Sudan, urged leaders of that country to rise over the challenges they are faced with; warning that if not resolved they will become a tragedy not only for South Sudan but also for the whole region.