African bloc to not impose arms embargo on South Sudan

By Seleshi Tessema

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Leaders of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) agreed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Friday to speed up the deployment of a regional force to South Sudan.

The IGAD member states, however, did not consider the call to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan since it was "not an issue of major importance to bring about peace," the bloc’s Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, told Anadolu Agency.

The decisions concerning South Sudan took place during an extraordinary summit of the Horn of Africa’s regional security and development bloc, which was attended by Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Ethiopia Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalenge.

The presidents of Kenya and Uganda were represented by their respective foreign ministers.

Maalim said the summit mainly focused on South Sudan and Somalia.

“On South Sudan, the leaders agreed to operationalize the August peace agreement between the warring factions, which provides the best mode to acquire peace and stability,” he said.

A speedy deployment of a protection force to the country will begin, he added.

“The leaders also called on the warring factions, and particularly the South Sudanese government to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian assistance,” he added.

Nhial Deng Nhial, senior adviser to Kiir, said his government had agreed to the fundamentals of the decisions in the summit.

“President Silva Kirr has reiterated his commitment to begin a national dialogue at all levels,’’ he said. “The transitional government is more harmonious after the departure of Riek Machar, and this is a new impetus to implement the peace process,” Nhial said.

However, he said, it will be difficult for opposition leaders outside the country to engage in a political dialogue.

South Sudan’s civil war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced three million people from their homes since December 2013 in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.