Vice-President James Wani Igga has left for New York to attend the UN General Assembly summit scheduled for next week.

President Salva Kiir was invited, but he won’t show up. Information Minister Michael Makuei said the invitation was given to President Kiir on short notice.

He said while President Kiir considers the UN meeting very serious, the situation in South Sudan is more serious.

“President Salva Kiir is not going to the United Nations General Assembly meeting because he has already delegated his Vice President James Wani Igga to go and attend the General Assembly meeting as scheduled,” he said.

The General Assembly, which kicks off on Monday, will bring together heads of state and governments from around the world.

Among other things, the assembly will discuss global peace and security, and budgets.

David Mayen, Vice President’s Press Secretary, says Mr Igga is leading a high-level delegation, comprising ministers from the national government.

Mayen says while in New York, Igga will meet with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on implementation of the IGAD Peace agreement.

He says Mr. Igga will also meet with the leader of the SPLM-IO Dr Riek Machar and the leader of the group of Former Detainees, Mr. Pagan Amum.