South Sudan government said Tuesday that negotiations with the various opposition groups on the outstanding issues are progressing well and it hopes that a deal would be reached soon as peace talks continue in Khartoum.

Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan information minister, told state media that the parties have made advanced progress on the remaining issues in the peace deal and that they would agree soon.

“The delegates of the government and the opposition groups with the secretariat met and discussed the pending issues that is the composition of the judiciary review commission, the composition of the constitutional amendment committee and the five ministries which were added plus Article 4 of the agreement plus the competencies of the president, the first vice president and the vice presidents,” Makuei said.

“We have made a good progress and there is likelihood of us concluding all these on Wednesday. Together with the conclusion of these, definitely the draft agreement will be out for consideration by the parties, at the same time, the implementation matrix will also be out for consideration,” he added.

Makuei, who is also the government spokesman, pointed out that the parties are expected to agree on the pending issues before Eid al-Adha.

For his part, Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, leader of the opposition South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC), told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that talks between the parties on the pending issues were ongoing through thematic committees.

The IGAD bloc, which is mediating the South Sudan peace process, launched the final phase of talks on the pending issues and the implementation modalities of the latest peace deal this week.

The mediators decided to extend the South Sudan talks on the remaining issues between the warring parties in Khartoum until 19 August.