In response to highly inaccurate reports in today’s The Dawn newspaper in Juba, IGAD wishes to assure the TGoNU of its highest respect with regard to the revitalisation process.
IGAD Special Envoy, Ambassador Ismail Wais, said, “As I have already reported publicly, IGAD is in the process of conducting pre-consultation meetings with a broad range of Parties and individuals who are pertinent to the IGAD-led High Level Revitalisation Forum. This period of pre-consultation devotes considerable time to meeting the TGoNU and as such underlines our full respect for the institution of government established by the ARCSS.
“IGAD wishes to pay its respect to the leaders of significant groupings within the TGoNU, especially the SPLM-IG, led by H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of South Sudan, and the SPLM-IO, led by H.E. Taban Deng Gai, the First Vice President. We are also meeting representatives of the Former Detainees, Mr Deng Alor and Mr John Lukjok, and Other Parties, led by Dr Martin Lomuro.
“We have chosen to meet with them collectively and individually so as to gather the full extent of their thoughts regarding the revitalisation of the Peace Agreement. To do this IGAD has assembled a very high ranking delegation of Ministers, including H.E. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu (Ethiopian Foreign Minister and Chairman of the IGAD Council of Ministers), H.E. Amina Mohamed (Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Rapporteur to the IGAD Council of Ministers), and H.E. Sam Kutesa (Ugandan Foreign Minister).
“The Dawn’s ‘reliable source’ is deeply misguided in choosing to misrepresent our intentions so publicly and IGAD does not take kindly to such misleading assertions as have been made in today’s media.”
ENDS
