Advocate Omara Joseph Wani, Protection and Advocacy Officer at the Network. (Photo: Awan Moses).

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN) has called for an inclusive consultation of peace parties in the African Union mediation efforts aim at ending the political crisis in the country.

The AU Panel of the Wise, arrived in Juba on Wednesday and held a meeting with President Kiir. They are also expected to meet other peace parties and stakeholders over the next three days.

The Panel seeks to help ease tensions, promote dialogue, and push for the full implementation of the peace agreement.

Advocate Omara Joseph Wani, Protection and Advocacy Officer at the Network, said peace can only be achieved when all parties are heard.

Mr. Omara said the AU delegation should also engage President Kiir to release detained officials, or initiate due legal process.

“We believe that for us to achieve peace at this point, all the parties that are signatories to the peace agreement, the one we call the peace parties, should all be engaged,” Omara said.

“It’s unfortunate that some of the actors in the signatories are already being arrested. others are really in incarceration. We feel that the AU panel of the wise should really make sure that these political actors are released. We don’t see that it serves any relevance in terms of implementing the agreement.”

Mr. Omara has called for the inclusion of the views of civil society groups in the ongoing mediation.

He says the civil society played an integral role in negotiating the 2018 peace agreement and amplified the voices of the indigenous population.