Stern warning for S. Sudan rivals

Regional leaders Friday gave combatants in the violence-stricken South Sudan a four-day ultimatum to cease hostilities or face unspecified action.

The stern decision was made during a special summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) that was attended by five heads of State at State House in Nairobi.

The leaders included Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (who chaired the meeting), President Kenyatta, Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia) and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda).

Others were Mr Bakri Hassan Saleh, Sudan’s first Vice President, as well as Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs minister.

The leaders, in a communiqué read by the Ethiopian leader, said they would not allow the seizure of power from a democratically-elected government through the barrel (of a gun).

They condemned violence in South Sudan that has caused deaths, injuries and displacement of many, and called on those behind the fighting to refrain from fuelling it.

“We welcome the commitment by the Government of South Sudan to an immediate cessation of hostilities and call upon (former Vice President) Dr Riek Machar and other parties to make similar commitments,” read the statement.

“We are determined that if hostilities do not cease within four days of this communiqué, the summit will consider taking further measures,” it went on. The leaders, however, did not specify the actions.

“We, however, commend the expressed commitment of both sides to engage in dialogue and reiterate the imperative of an immediate pursuit of a political solution, including an all-inclusive dialogue among all concerned,” the communiqué added.

South Sudan has experienced fighting for more than a week between soldiers loyal to President Kiir and Dr Machar, who was sacked in July.

When fighting broke out, President Kiir, dressed in military uniform, said there had been an attempted coup—a claim Dr Machar, who is on the run, denied.

The leaders urged the two feuding parties to create a “conducive environment” for face-to-face talks. This, they added, includes urgently “reviewing the status of detainees”.

“The council of ministers should continue working with the Government of South Sudan and make contact with Dr Machar and other leaders critical to bringing about peace,” the communiqué read.

The leaders expressed concern that the conflict would cause a major humanitarian crisis. They called on all humanitarian organisations to provide the necessary assistance to those affected, while calling on the South Sudan government and armed groups to open humanitarian corridors for safe passage of food and medicine.

Meanwhile, the meeting also resolved that Kenya’s Gen (rtd) Lazarus Sumbeiywo and Ethiopia’s Seyoum Mesfin be appointed as Igad’s special envoy to South Sudan and representative of the Republic of Sudan, respectively.

Also appointed was former nominated MP Mohammed Affey as Igad’s special envoy to Somalia and Ambassador Tewolde Gebremeskal as director of peace and security at the Igad secretariat.