Egypt says it is working to unite warring South Sudanese leader over the formation of a new unity government. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday that his country is currently arranging a meeting that will bring together South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar to discuss forming a government of forces without conflict.
Al-Sisi said this during a session with foreign journalists working in Egypt on the sidelines of the third edition of the four-day World Youth Forum (WYF) which opened last week in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
“We have always been supportive of all efforts made, and still being made, to find a solution and reach ceasefire,” said the Egyptian President, who is also the rotating chairperson of the African Union, noting that the government should commence and overcome what happened in South Sudan during the past two years.
The Egyptian leader stressed that the country’s policy adopts solving problems and extinguishing crises in Africa, “even if Egypt does not chair the African Union,” a Xinxua news agency report quoted him as saying.
South Sudan descended into conflict in December 2013 after Kiir sacked his Deputy Machar, leading to fighting between soldiers loyal to respective leaders.
The conflict killed tens of thousands and displaced millions both internally and externally.
A peace deal signed in 2015 collapsed after the outbreak of renewed violence in July 2016, forcing Machar to flee the capital.
Under the 2018 peace deal, Machar will take up one of the four vice presidency positions in the transitional government.