South Sudan’s opposition leader Riek Machar held separate meetings with civil society groups and political parties, his official said.

“Dr. Machar held a meeting with members of civil society organizations. He received a petition calling on them to show leadership at the face-to-face meeting,” Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, deputy head of the SPLM-IO’s information committee told Radio Tamazuj from Addis Ababa.

“Dr. Riek also met with the political parties in Juba. He met with the group led by Joseph Okello, national agenda parties, the group of alliance led by Kornelio Kon and the group of umreball led by Peter Mayen,” he explained.

The other political parties, Manawa said, asked Machar to work together with all the parties to bring peace in South Sudan.

“Dr. Riek requested the parties to bring the outstanding issues to the table during the face-to-face meeting today,” he said.

Manawa also said the country’s main opposition leader held a meeting with members of the South Sudan opposition alliance led by Gabriel Changson Chang.

“The meeting was fruitful and they agreed to sign a lasting peace in South Sudan,” he said.

The opposition official further said Machar will meet with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed shortly before their face-to-face meeting with Kiir today evening.