Diplomats pose for a photo in Juba following a meeting on the situation in South Sudan. (-)

The diplomatic missions of IGAD and major donor countries in South Sudan have jointly called for urgent action to advance peace in the country, following their meeting on 13th March 2025.

The foreign missions said they warmly acknowledge IGAD’s leadership and reaffirmed the need for “open and direct dialogue” among the peace parties and political leaders, including President Kiir and First Vice President Machar, in support of peace.

The meeting was attended by Ambassadors and representatives from the Embassies of Canada, Djibouti, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Kenya, Norway, the Netherlands, and Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Delegation of the European Union.

The meeting was hosted by the Chairman of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) at his offices in Juba.

The 2018 peace deal was recently shaken by renewed violence in Nasir County between SSPDF and heavily armed youths, who captured the local army base and later killed a commander, several soldiers, and a UN staff.

Some SPLM-IO politicians and commanders including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang, Deputy Chief of Defense Force Duop Lam and an MP have been detained for allegedly being in conflict with the law.

Following the tension, both President Kiir and the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar called for calm and de-escalation of further violence.