South Sudan peace effort rebuffed

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s attempt to help reconcile the two warring factions of South Sudan in Pretoria appears to have failed after both South Sudan President Salva Kiir and ousted opposition leader Riek Machar declined an invitation to meet in Pretoria.

Zuma had hoped that his attempt at bridge-building would take place in Pretoria after postponing a Thursday meeting with Kiir, who is currently in the country, to Friday.

However, Machar, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), who is based in Joburg, declined to travel to Pretoria to meet his nemesis.

Officials close to the two leaders confirmed to the Sudan Tribune separately on Sunday that neither Kiir nor Machar, had shown interest in meeting each other.

“We were expecting the South African government, and the ANC leadership, would arrange a special meeting between Kiir and Machar,” said a presidential aide of Kiir.

“There were signs that such a meeting would take place considering that the ANC played a very important role in the reunification of the SPLM,” he added.