IGAD chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin says the warring parties will meet at a summit in Addis Ababa after the Muslims’ Holy Month of Ramadan to negotiate a final peace agreement.

He says the mediation process will involve five African countries in what is known as the IGAD Plus.

Mesfin says the parties will discuss a new IGAD proposal on power sharing to end the conflict.

“The IGAD plus process is on now. So next time when we invite the parties, we will invite them as IGAD plus in which all the IGAD plus countries will also send their representatives to observe and participate in all the mediation process,” Amb Mesfin told the media.

“We are hoping sometime after the end of the holy month of Ramadhan to convene the IGAD plus summit in Addis Ababa with the parties participating and that we expect the parties to conclude the agreement by that time.”

Ambassador Mesfin says the AU Commission of Inquiry’s report on human rights violations in South Sudan conflict may be released during the talks.

The African Union Peace and Security Council postponed the publication of the report early this year on ground that it may affect the peace process.

However, the mediator says peace and justice now have to be achieved concurrently.

“The peace process is not only insisting to achieve peace at any cost. It is peace with Justice. The commission of inquiry wants also to achieve justice and also peace because justice cannot be served unless there is peace.”

A leaked draft of the report, which the African Union has disowned, says both sides violated human rights and committed atrocities.