Angelo Beda [center] stressing a point at a press briefing by the ND Steering Committee in June 2017/PHOTO//Eye Radio

The co-chair of the National Dialogue Steering Committee, Angelo Beda says separate teams have been formed to meet opposition leaders who are outside the country.

Mr. Beda said the teams will travel to different countries to meet politicians, including Dr. Riek Machar, Dr. Lam Akol and members of the Former Detainees.

The government has repeatedly said that Dr. Riek would not join the dialogue unless he renounces violence.

But the steering committee of the National Dialogue said a team will travel to South Africa to engage Dr. Riek in the agenda setting of the national dialogue.

“A committee of five members is formed to go and meet him in South Africa and arrangements are being made to comply with diplomatic requirements of the travel for the committee,” Beda said.

Mr. Beda said he will lead the team that will meet Dr. Riek Machar.

“This committee will go and then come back and then we possible send another committee to East Africa; to Kenya, Uganda and then we think of another committee to Congo,” he added.

Other political leaders that will be approached by the dialogue committee include Dr. Lam Akol, Pagan Amum and Thomas Cirillo, among others.

“We want to talk to them on how they can help us in the national dialogue. We are telling them that when there is a deadlock, we come in as nationalists,” said Angelo Beda.

He further said the steering committee will also be in a position to meet other armed groups currently waging war across the country, in an area of their preference.

“If they want us to meet with them outside [the country] we shall go and meet with them.”

Angelo Beda was speaking during a briefing by the committee to foreign diplomats in Juba this [Wednesday] morning.

This month, a summit of the IGAD heads of state and government urged armed groups to renounce violence and take part in the dialogue.

President Salva Kiir initiated the dialogue last year, saying it would help unite the country and reconcile the people after years of conflict since 2013.