By Yiep Joseph
President Salva Kiir on Friday traveled to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to take part in the 38th African Union (AU) Summit.
The 38th African Union (AU) Summit convened today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together heads of state and government from all 55 AU member states, alongside leaders from international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector.
According to Lily Adhieu Martin, press secretary in the office of the president, Kiir is expected to have sideline meetings with various leaders to discuss areas around peace, climate change, and the influx of refugees from Sudan, among others.
Among those expected to meet with the president are UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“While in Addis Ababa, President Kiir will hold several sideline meetings with other leaders, including the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to discuss the peace process in South Sudan, the Sudanese refugees in the country, and issues of climate change, among others,” Adhieu said in the statement.
The summit held under the theme ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations’ will focus on advancing reparatory justice and fostering racial healing across the continent.
According to the statement, President Kiir’s participation in the summit demonstrates South Sudan’s commitment to regional cooperation, focusing on peace, security, and economic development for the African continent.
The election of a new AU Commission chair as well as the election of AU commissioners will be part of the activities.
The idea of silencing the guns in line with peace and security will be part of the deliberations, as delegates haven’t only been lobbying each other for support for commission positions, but there have already been a number of informal meetings on the conflicts that will dominate this summit.
These are, among others, the escalation of conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Civil War in Sudan, which presents a bigger humanitarian crisis.