South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday met the head of Darfur rebel movement Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim in efforts to restore peace in Sudan.
Speaking to reporters in Juba after meeting with Kiir, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Gibril Ibrahim Mohamed said the meeting focused on peace and stability in Sudan.
"We talked in details on the existing peace initiatives. We also briefed the president on the recent meeting in Egypt and the efforts being exerted by the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC)," Ibrahim said.
“The meeting in Egypt was fruitful and we commended the role of South Sudan in its effort to restore peace in Sudan,” he added.
Gibril pointed out that Sudan’s opposition groups accepted President Kiir's initiative to mediate the peace process in Sudan. He revealed that the components of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) will hold a meeting with Kiir in the capital Juba soon.
On his part, Kiir’s adviser for security affairs Tut Gatluak said the president will invite all Sudanese rebel leaders for a meeting in Juba soon as part of his efforts to facilitate peace in Sudan.
The presidential adviser underscored that the ongoing peace process in Sudan is crucial for Juba's stability. “Stability in Sudan will be good for South Sudan peace. Peace and stability in the neighboring Sudan means the same for South Sudan, so the meeting between President Kiir and Dr Gibril focused on peace in Sudan,” he said.
The meeting comes two weeks after President Kiir held consultative meetings with other opposition leaders to solve the political crisis in Sudan since the ousting of long-term leader Omar al-Bashir in April.