Warring South Sudan factions refuse to hold face-to-face talks

Updated - November 16, 2021 06:06 pm IST - Addis Ababa

A file photo of former South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar with the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir.

A file photo of former South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar with the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir.

East African negotiators were struggling on Saturday to bring the warring South Sudanese parties into direct talks as the United Nations said it was boosting its presence in the country.

The chances of holding the first direct talks between representatives of President Salva Kiir and his rival, former vice president Riek Machar, appeared to be dimming as the sides were unable to agree on an agenda.

“We commit to peaceful negotiations where both sides’ opinions are respected,” Mr. Machar said on his Twitter feed. “Salva Kiir’s side aren’t willing to come to that term.” There had been hopes the two sides would meet directly this weekend, but the opposition to Mr. Kiir is demanding that prisoners be released as a condition for the talks. Mr. Machar’s loyalists also want a power-sharing deal to be discussed.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.