July 24, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir is on an official visit to South Africa in preparation for discussions on the implementation of the peace agreement before talks with Riek Machar, his first deputy and SPLM-in-Opposition leader. Kiir departed from Juba on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, accompanied by farewells from Machar and several senior government officials. Presidential press secretary Lily Adhieu Martin informed the media at the airport that Kiir and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will discuss the progress of the Nairobi peace talks during this visit. “The visit aims for President Kiir to brief President Ramaphosa on the progress of the ongoing Tumaini Initiative, which seeks a political settlement between the government of South Sudan and holdout groups,” Martin stated. South Africa chairs the African Union High-Level Ad-hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government, known as the C5, which includes representatives from each of the five regions of the continent. Established in 2018, the committee was created to enhance and scale up the mediation efforts of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in South Sudan. According to the communiqué of the 474th session of the PSC, the C5’s role is …

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