IGAD-led Peace talks between South Sudan’s government and SPLA-IO rebels resumed in the Ethiopian capital Monday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, the South Sudanese Minister of Information Michael Makuei said the opening round of talks was attended by the three SPLM factions and other stakeholders.
Makuei, who is also the government spokesman, expected that the leadership committee that comprises the three SPLM factions will hold talks on the same day.
“Today Monday we attended the opening sitting in which all the stakeholders took part, and in the evening we will have a separate meeting of the leadership committee” he said.
He further said the leadership committee meeting aimed at setting an agenda for the talks and then agree on it.
Makuei also denied claims that the government prevented the Political Parties Leadership Forum (PPLF) headed by Lam Akol from travelling to the venue of the peace talks.
“The government didn’t prevent Dr. Lam from travelling, and he was never banned from talking to the media. He used to talk always,” he said.
“I can assure you that the government did not prevent anybody from travelling. If Dr. Lam wants to tell us something else let him say it, but we did not prevent him from leaving Juba” he emphasized.
For his part, SPLM-IO head of external committee Dhieu Mathok confirmed that the talks resumed on Monday.
He said the SPLM-IO delegation called for the presence of President Salva Kiir during this round of peace talks according to the previous agreement between the two parties.
The rebel official further called on the African Union and international community to release the findings of the African Union report on atrocities and war crimes committed during the conflict in South Sudan.
“We see that the success of this round of talks needs the release of the AU report on war crimes committed during the conflict” he said.