The government says it has accepted in “principle” the deployment of a regional protection force in South Sudan.

The decision about the force was reached during the extra-ordinary summit of the heads of state of the regional bloc, IGAD in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on Friday to assess the situation in South Sudan.

The African Union force will protect civilians, humanitarian aid workers and members of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, the body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the peace agreement.

The IGAD heads of state also directed military commanders from the region to travel to Juba to discuss with the government the modalities required for the deployment of the force.

Addressing the media upon their return from Addis Ababa on Saturday, Information Minister, Michael Makuei, dismissed media reports that the government had accepted the AU proposed “intervention force.”

“The position of the government has been very clear; we are not for any intervention force in the Republic of South Sudan, because he government of the Republic of South Sudan is capable of handling its own affairs and it does not need anybody to come from outside to come and regulate its security,” Mr Makuei stated.

The government’s delegation to the IGAD summit was headed by the First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai.