President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar shake hands after their meeting in Juba, South Sudan October 19, 2019 - Courtesy

The African Union, IGAD, and UNMISS say they welcome the recent meeting between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to resolve the disputed ministerial changes.

On Friday, Kiir and Machar discussed the status of the implementation of the revitalized agreement and the recent decree and republican order swapping ministries.

This comes after President Kiir dismissed the minister of defense Angelina Teny and switched the defense and interior ministries between the dockets of the SPLM and the SPLM-IO.

The principals had “frank deliberations in a friendly atmosphere that reflected the spirit of reconciliation, prosperity, and commitment to the peace agreement,” according to the office of the president.

The meeting attended by several senior government officials ended without a breakthrough, but there was a consensus that a similar meeting be held at a later date “to resolve the issues at hand in the spirit of cooperation.”

In a press statement, the peace guarantors said they encourage a renewed focus by all signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement as outlined in the Roadmap, for its full and timely implementation.

The group also urges the parties to maintain shared collaboration, continuous consultations, and consensus-building in the letter and spirit of the Revitalized Agreement.

The partners reiterate their full support for the efforts of all stakeholders and the leaders of South Sudan toward the success of the peace process and the completion of the Roadmap.