Representatives of South Sudan’s rebels at the peace talks said they haven’t received any invitation from IGAD mediators with regards to the resumption of peace talks in Addis Ababa.

SPLM-IO Head of External Relations Committee Dhieu Mathok told Radio Tamazuj that the IGAD mediators will not be able to bring about a lasting peace by drafting a final agreement in South Sudan.

“We have not received the invitation on the resumption of the talks, but we saw the timetable drawn the IGAD to draft a final peace deal in South Sudan,” he said.

The rebel official pointed out that they want a peace deal that will address root causes of the conflict and then introduce reforms through a transitional government of national unity.

Meanwhile, the government spokesman and a senior member of the SPLM-Juba faction Michael Makuei told Radio Tamazuj that they didn’t receive the invitation on the resumption of talks either.

The IGAD’s plan and its partners to draft a final agreement in South Sudan didn’t reach us officially in a written form, according to the Makuei.

When asked about the recent invitation by the US Special Envoy Donald Booth to the warring parties on the resumption of the talks, the minister said, “Neither the US Special Envoy Donald Booth nor the Troika are the right bodies to call for the resumption of the talks because IGAD is there.”

IGAD special envoys