The East African regional bloc IGAD has expressed deep concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan and emphasized the need to take immediate measures that would facilitate the situation for smooth provision of humanitarian aid.
In a communiqué issued following its 30th Extra-Ordinary Summit held on Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya, IGAD said all humanitarian corridors should be immediately opened without any conditionality to allow safe access to affected people in South Sudan.
The IGAD leaders condemned the proliferation of armed groups in South Sudan and called on all armed groups to renounce armed struggle as a means of solving the problems in the country.
They also called upon all factions to immediately stop the fighting. In response to this call, the South Sudanese government agreed to announce a unilateral ceasefire and grant amnesty to those that renounced violence.
According to the communiqué, the leaders during the summit welcomed the position taken by the South Sudanese government to announce a unilateral ceasefire and offer amnesty, and called upon all actors to join in the national dialogue.
They also urged both Sudan and South Sudan to ensure that their territories are not used by any armed groups that threaten the security of both countries, as well as the implementation of the signed peace deal in South Sudan.
IGAD encouraged all parties to fully commit to the implementation of the signed peace deal, and in particular to focus on security sector reforms in order to build a national army to guarantee the safety and security of South Sudan and its people.
They further encouraged the government of South Sudan to work towards building an encompassing political process determined through a credible election, where all South Sudanese have an opportunity to determine their leaders and hold them to account.
The leaders reaffirmed the continued and collective engagement of IGAD member states in the search of lasting peace, security and stability of South Sudan and in this regard, committed to the revitalization of JMEC.
Moreover, the leaders called upon all parties to fully cooperate with JMEC and not impede the movement of the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM).
IGAD photo