The members of the Troika (the UK, US and Norway) issued a statement denying reports by the government of South Sudan that they have agreed to exclude rebel leader Riek Machar from the IGAD High Level Revitalization Forum.
“Recent press reports/assertions by the government of South Sudan that the Troika has agreed to exclude Dr. Riek Machar from the IGAD High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) are false/ incorrect,” party reads the statement today.
The three countries said that all those that have a stake in South Sudan’s future must be represented in the forum and commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the country.
“We continue to make this point to all parties, including the government and Riek Machar, as part of our full support for IGAD’s revitalization efforts,” the group said.
South Sudan’s Cabinet Affairs Minister, Martin Elia Lomuro, told reporters in Juba last week that President Kiir held a meeting with members of the Troika and they discussed issues pertaining to revitalization of the 2015 peace agreement.
The minister pointed out that the meeting discussed the participation of South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar through his representatives only.
Machar is being held in South Africa to prevent him from going back to South Sudan. The decision was reportedly reached by IGAD countries in order to keep him away in the hope of preventing fighting in the world’s youngest nation.