Representatives of South Sudan civil society organizations say they need to form a collective platform to influence the warring parties bring lasting peace to the country.

This was said at a panel discussion in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, last night.

Edmond Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress, said the warring parties must accept to include other stakeholders in the peace process.

“Peace has to be built on consensus. If you agree on any peace process and there is no consensus built, the likelihood of you having an opposition to this document or agreement is very high,” said Mr Yakani.

David Deng, Secretary of Citizens for Peace and Justice, said the civil societies should be included in the peace process to help address the current crisis.

“Civil society….is present in government controlled areas, in the Diaspora, we have connections to all manner of political groups,” said Mr Deng, who is also a member of South Sudan Law Society. “This is an asset that can be used as a unifying factor if properly tapped into.”

The panelists also urged the IGAD mediation team to explain what they mean by inclusivity in the peace process.

They said the regional body, IGAD, must have clear criteria to have a balanced participation for all South Sudanese.