The latest round of talks has been the most productive, the Chairman of the IGAD envoys to the South Sudan peace dialogue in Addis Ababa has announced.

Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin says the warring parties and the stakeholders agreed on the agenda and a negotiating document that were developed with their own inputs.

“This is the session that all the stakeholders, the government, the SPLM/A In Opposition, the Former Detainees (SPLM Leaders), the political parties and the civil society representatives agreed not only on the agenda items for their negotiation but also agreed to a one negotiating document that was developed with their own input, with the input of the resource persons and that of the mediation,” said Amb Mesfin.

Ambassador Mesfin said the 27th IGAD summit will discuss the signing of the security matrix and the decision-making process.

‘No bluffing’

He said the summit will also consider tough actions against the two parties if they fail to abide by what they have signed.

“It is only in the event when we decide that there is no hope the parties would come to a position of rationality that definitely that those measures are required,” he warned.

“But this is an issue where the international community or the region is not bluffing. They are very serious about it.”

The peace talks have been going on since the 4th of August in Addis Ababa.