Direct negotiations between the parties in South Sudan

OSLO, Norway, January 6, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “I am pleased to see that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has succeeded in bringing the parties to the conflict in South Sudan to the negotiating table. The world’s youngest nation is threatened by civil war, and the parties must take responsibility for preventing further bloodshed,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

IGAD announced at a press conference on Saturday evening that the parties to the conflict in South Sudan had agreed to start direct negotiations on a ceasefire.

“It is vital to establish a ceasefire immediately and ensure that it can be monitored. Providing access for humanitarian assistance, putting an end to the negative propaganda and ensuring the immediate release of imprisoned government party members are all crucial for building trust between the parties. This will in turn pave the way for a process to address the issues underlying the conflict in South Sudan,” said Mr Brende.

Norway, the US, the UK and the EU have all sent special representatives to Addis Ababa to support IGAD’s negotiation process.