President Salva Kiir has skipped the 35th ordinary session of the AU Assembly in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa over a busy schedule, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has said.

The summit that has kicked-off on Saturday will end on Sunday.

The African leaders are discussing ways to coordinate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and military takeovers – from Sudan to the Sahel region.

Heads of State from Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya, among others are in attendance.

Absentees at the event were President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, President Salva Kiir.

According to the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Deng Dau President Kiir was unable to make it to the summit due to his busy schedule.

“The Head of State can attend when they are not much engaged but you know when the president is also busy particularly on the implementation of the peace agreement, it makes the president not to attend,” the Deputy Minister said.

According to Dau, the President was expected to be represented by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mayiik Ayii who also didn’t make it because he was not prepared for the summit.

“The foreign ministry is supposed to represent the president, he is supposed to leave yesterday[Friday], You know technically, when you are going to such a meeting, you are supposed to equip yourself with all the thematic areas of the discussion. So he was consulting some of his colleagues,” Deng Dau said.

Dau says, because of the unpreparedness of Foreign Affairs Minister, President Salva Kiir is being represented by South Sudan Ambassador to Ethiopia, James Pitia Morgan.

“Our Ambassador in Addis Ababa will be able to stand in for him [President Kiir] at the summit.”