The Star 17 July 2016
An IGAD summit in Rwanda proposed on Saturday a three-pronged approach to addressing the South Sudan crisis.
President Uhuru Kenyatta attended the meeting that pushed for a lasting solution to the crisis; fighting that erupted last week left at 300 dead and more than 42,000 dead.
IGAD executive secretary Mahboub Maalim said an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan.
“Second, enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders working to unravel the peace process. Third, fortify the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS),” he said.
Maalim said IGAD supports the proposal by the Chiefs of the Defence Staff/Forces of Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda to reinforce UNMISS with troops.
This is under the mandate to assist in the stabilisation of South Sudan.
The meeting took place in Kigali on the margins of 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Summit.
Among leaders who attended were Presidents Omar al-Bashir (Sudan), Ismail Omar (Djibouti), Sheikh Hassan (Somalia) and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda).
Others were Chad President Idriss Deby who is AU chairperson, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn who is IGAD chairperson.
South Sudan was represented by Foreign Minister Deng Alor and Presidential Advisor Niyal Deng.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the initial death toll from the fighting in Juba was likely much higher.
“I would believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg given alarming reports indicating over the last few days many civilians were barred from reaching safer ground,” Ladsous said.
The US condemned actions by South Sudan’s government to prevent civilians from leaving the country after recent fighting and voiced concern about the beating and detention of some politicians.
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the situation in the capital Juba remained “fluid” but the United States still believed it was possible the country’s longtime political adversaries could come together to restore order.
