AU welcomes agreement by South Sudan parties on security arrangement

The South Sudan government, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army In Opposition, and the SPLM Leaders (former detainees) on Tuesday signed the agreement in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, has welcomed the agreement reached by the three South Sudan parties with respect to the implementation of the security arrangements of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan, said an AU statement on Wednesday.

The parties also agreed on the deployment of a Joint Integrated Police for the security of Juba, as well as of other locations, namely Bor, Malakal and Bentui, said the statement.

The East African bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been mediating the South Sudan peace process since the conflict erupted in December 2013 in the world's youngest nation.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission has commended the team of IGAD Special Envoys, namely Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, General Lazaro Sumbeiywo, and General Mohamed El-dabi, for their efforts and commitment in assisting the South Sudanese stakeholders achieve lasting peace in their country, according to the statement.

The Chairperson looks forward to the faithful implementation of the commitments made by the South Sudanese stakeholders, in order to pave the way for the early establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity, noted the statement.

She has also welcomed the appointment by IGAD on Nov. 2 of Major General Molla Hailemariam as the Chairperson of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism.

Dlamini-Zuma called on the parties to urgently appoint their nominees to the mechanism and to extend full cooperation with General Hailemariam.