By Mamer Abraham
South Sudan’s government has reserved its readiness to lead the mediation process of ending the conflict in Sudan, referring the parties to the IGAD-Quartet-led process.
The Sudanese government, led by Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, has declined several attempts to negotiate an end to the conflict, protesting Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto’s leadership in the IGAD-led mediation process.
On Friday, Michael Makuei Lueth, the national minister for information and government spokesperson, stated that President Salva Kiir Mayardit was ready to help in ending the Sudanese conflict but would not interfere with the mediation process of the IGAD-Quartet.
Makuei said South Sudan would wait until Sudan’s warring parties made clear their position to IGAD if they wanted Kiir to take the lead.
“If both of them accept, let them go to IGAD; IGAD will give them the green light to come here. We don’t want to be seen struggling with our member colleagues in IGAD,” Makuei told the press.
“If the Sudan parties accept that they come to South Sudan, we have no objection. But let them follow the correct procedure… so that we are not held responsible and blamed for whatever.”
Makuei asserted that the warring parties in the Sudanese conflict had been coming to the country, but the government of South Sudan cannot consider one side and leave out the other; they should rather be united.
The IGAD mediation process on the conflict in Sudan, which was initially chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, is now chaired by Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto.
In June, the Sudanese transitional military government, led by Gen. Al-Burhan, rejected the nomination of Kenyan President William Ruto to lead a dialogue on the country’s crisis.
Burhan had accused Ruto of harboring rebels in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, and he was not fit to lead the mediation process, but Ruto denied this allegation, saying he did not have Sudanese rebels harbored in his country.
On September 4, Burhan landed in Juba for his second international visit since the conflict started in his country on April 15, 2023, which has so far displaced over 5 million people both internally and externally.
Ali al-Sadiq, the Sudanese Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, told the press that South Sudan was their choice to mediate in the incumbent conflict in Sudan.
“We in Sudan feel that South Sudan is the best country to meditate on the conflict in Sudan because we have been one country for so long and we know each other, we know the problems, and we know our needs,” Sadiq said.
The minister for cabinet affairs, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, said President Kiir was always ready to help in ending the Sudanese conflict, adding that the president had the solution at hand.
“It is known that President Kiir has intimacy and knowledge about Sudan and can find a solution to the crisis,” Dr. Lomuro said.
While addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA) last week, President Salva Kiir Mayardit called for an intervention to address the humanitarian situation posed by the conflict in Sudan to the Sudanese people and the neighboring countries.