IGAD to Convene the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on South Sudan

 The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is set to hold the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on March 12, 2025, to address the ongoing situation in South Sudan. The summit, which will be conducted virtually, aims to discuss ways to stabilize the country, as tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar have escalated. IGAD, the guarantor of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), emphasized its commitment to fostering dialogue and promoting peace.

PHOTO: Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), is Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu

Recent fighting has jeopardized the fragile peace deal between Kiir and Machar, with Kiir calling for calm and assuring the nation that it would not return to war. Tensions reached a new height when a UN helicopter evacuating members of the national army was shot at, resulting in several deaths, including one crew member. Additionally, the recent arrest of the deputy army chief and two ministers aligned with Machar has been criticized as a breach of the peace agreement by opposition representatives.

The arrests followed clashes in Upper Nile state between government forces and the White Army, a militia that had supported Machar during the civil war. South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has faced instability since a 2013 rift between Kiir and Machar led to a devastating civil war. While a 2018 power-sharing agreement ended active fighting, key provisions such as a new constitution and elections remain unfulfilled, and violence persists in parts of the country.

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