AU’s Panel of the Wise arrived in Juba yesterday to assess the security, political and humanitarian situation in the country.  

By Anak Dut

Speaking during a meeting with the visiting delegation of the African Union’s Panel of the Wise, Kiir stated that his administration is committed to implementing the provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.

AU’s Panel of the Wise arrived in Juba yesterday afternoon to assess the security, political and humanitarian situation in the country.  

Led by former Burundian President and Head of the AU Panel of the Wise Domitien Ndayizeye and Kenya former retired judge Effie Owuor, the elite team reaffirmed African Union’s commitment to fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and lasting peace during the meeting.

The Panel is said to be in the country for three days and will meet various stakeholders to discuss the goals, determine points of consensus and address the current problems facing the nation.

The African Union (AU) dispatched the team of leading African statespersons to South Sudan to engage the country’s leaders in dialogue in an effort to diffuse and de-escalate tension in the country.

The team already med President Kiir, and is expected to hold meetings with other leaders, including the country’s other vice presidents, among other peace and security institutions in the country.

The move comes amid pockets of tension and violence in some regions of the country, including the recent clashes between the national army, SSPDF and armed youth in Upper Nile, a situation that escalated to the political echelons in Juba, threatening the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

In a statement from Addis Ababa on Monday, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to preventing further escalation.

“The AU stands in full solidarity with the people of South Sudan. We call on all parties to uphold the provisions of the Revitalized Agreement and commit to a peaceful resolution through dialogue and reconciliation,” he said.

In an exclusive interview with The City Review, Amb. Prof. Joram Mukama Biswaro, AU Special Representative for South Sudan and Head of the African Union Liaison Office in South Sudan (AULOSS), the Panel of the Wise—an AU conflict prevention body made up of senior African statesmen—highlighted the immense status and role of the visiting team.

“The Panel of the Wise is an important pillar for the African Union peace architecture responsible for mediation and peace settlement. In so far as South Sudan is concerned, it is the right time for coming in the country. All along the body has been instrumental in following the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement being implemented by the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity,” he added.

Other the AU Panel of the Wise, other regional and international bodies have also raised their voice on the South Sudan crisis, and urged for dialogue and de-escalation of the conflict.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, on Thursday expressed alarm over the house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar Teny, First Vice President, saying it could escalate the already existing political tensions in the country.

Dr. Gebeyehu said the arrest undermined the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and risk plunging the country back into violent conflict.

“The current trajectory, if unchecked, could lead to a collapse of the transitional process and a relapse into full-scale war with devastating consequences for the people of South Sudan and the region at large,” he said.