IGAD Heads of State at the 14th Summit of the regional bloc in Djibouti. June 12, 2023. | Photo: PPU/Facebook

Djibouti president Ismael Omar Guelleh, who is also the Chairperson of IGAD has directed the regional bloc’s secretariat to convene the 43rd Extraordinary Summit on the situation in South Sudan on March 12.

A press statement published on Monday informed member states’ foreign ministers about the IGAD chairperson’s scheduled summit about the escalating security situation in parts of South Sudan.

“H.E Ismael Omar Guelleh, the President of the Republic of Djibouti and Chair of IGAD has instructed the secretariat to convene the 43rd extraordinary summit….about the situation in South Sudan,” the statement reads in part.

Concerns are growing that South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal may collapse after violent clashes erupted in Nasir on March 4 between SSPDF and armed youths, who overran a military base and later killed a commander, several soldiers, and a UN staff.

In Juba, some top SPLM-IO ministers and officers including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang and Deputy Chief of Defense Force Duop Lam have been detained for allegedly being in conflict with the law.

The opposition group has called for the release of its political and military detainees who it said were “arbitrarily arrested”.

IGAD ambassadors, Western diplomats and the presidents of Kenya and Somalia have recently voiced deep concern over the situation and called on the country’s leaders to ease tension and engage in dialogue.