South Sudan's President Salva Mayardit returned to Juba today without a peace deal after four days of closed-door meetings with his rival Riek Machar in Addis Ababa. The president had previously agreed with Machar to reach a deal by 5 March.

Speaking this evening at Juba International Airport upon his return from Addis Ababa, Minister in the Office of the President Awan Riak said the mission to Addis Ababa to bring back a peace deal was not successful and resulted in no progress.

“Our delegation including the principles met on the 3rd of March and continued... We came to the deadline which was March 5th; there was no progress in the issues that were outstanding.”

“However, we continued this morning – the two principals President Salva Kiir and Dr Riek Machar and again there was no progress achieved in the issues that were to be dealt with,” Awan said.

Awan said the outstanding issues have been referred to the chairman of IGAD and he will consider with IGAD leaders in the region to allow the resumption of the talks on the issues in order to overcome them.

“The chairperson of IGAD will consider with his colleagues in the region so that the resumption could be seen and hopefully we believe in coming period we will see peace,” he added.

Awan was asked when the peace talks will resume. He said, “We want our people to know that peace is not to be timed up, peace is a process that can be reached gradually.”

On the issue of sanctions, he said, “We were also not happy and disappointed to see the United States – the country that has help South Sudan and which took the title of 'midwife' of the birth of south Sudan to be the one leading the process of sanctions to the very country that they helped yesterday.”