By William Madouk
Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) executive secretary is in Juba to assess progress of 2018 peace agreement implementation.
Dr. Workneh Ghebeyehu was yesterday received by deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Ramdan Mohammed Abdellah Goc, at Juba International Airport.
Addressing the media shortly after touchdown, Dr. Ghebeyehu said his mission to Juba was to evaluate the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.
“The mission I and my delegation are here for, including senior IGAD officials, is to evaluate and listen to updates on the progress of the revitalized agreement,” he said.
“We also want to talk about the status of the revitalized peace agreement, which will be a very important component,” he stressed.
Ghebeyehu added that they would discuss with President Salva Kiir issues of common concern in the region, including an elusive peace in Sudan.
“As you know, President Salva Kiir is very active in resolving the conflict in the Republic of Sudan, and as an elder statesman, we are consulting him on all issues related to the matter of our region,” he noted.
The IGAD executive secretary underscored that the regional blog midwifed the 2018 peace deal, so it’s imperative to assess its implementation. He also noted that this mission would reinforce the government’s effort to do more.
“It is a mission that will reinforce the impact of the government on the people of South Sudan and also listen to their wishes—the heartbeat of our people,” he explained.
Although it has not been disclosed to the media how many days Ghebeyehu would spend in Juba, he is expected to hold a close-door meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with President Salva Kiir and partners on the peace agreement.