President Salva Kiir met with his Eritrean counterpart, Isaias Afwerki and Sudan’s leader of the Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, on Saturday to discuss the way forward to resolve the conflict in Sudan.
The Embassy of the State of Eritrea in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, noted that the trio discussed possible solutions to the conflict in Sudan.
“President Isaias Afwerki held extensive discussions in Riyadh this morning with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Sudan’s President of the Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, respectively,” the statement read in part.
“Talks centred on finding a lasting solution to the war in Sudan and bilateral ties,” it added.
According to the Presidential Press Unit, Salva Kiir’s visit to Riyadh was an added advantage for him to engage with many African leaders on how to end the conflict in the neighbouring Sudan.
“[Issues] will revolve around supporting joint action, enhancing political coordination, addressing regional security threats, facilitating economic transformation through research, and the local development of new energy solutions, while bolstering cross-sectoral cooperation,” the statement read.
The South Sudan President aimed to champion the discussion on the country’s concern for regional security, particularly the Sudanese conflict as close neighbours.
Both South Sudan and Saudi Arabia have been independently pursuing a ceasefire in Sudan.
Last month, Juba hosted the signatories of Sudan’s Juba Peace Agreement signed in 2020 to bring peace to Sudan post-removal of former leader Omar al-Bashir.
It was during this meeting that the parties resolved that President Kiir should invite the allies of Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who leads the Sudan Armed Forces, and Gen. Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who commands the Rapid Support Forces, for a ceasefire talk.
Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is teaming up with the US to pursue a ceasefire between the two warring factions. In May 2023, the two countries, through the Jeddah Declaration, managed to strike a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements to bring peace to Sudan.
However, the truce was short-lived after both sides breached it.
