Mahmoud also announced plans to send a delegation to South Sudan as part of broader efforts to strengthen the ongoing mediation process. However, the AUC Chairperson did not disclose the names of the individuals selected to assist in brokering a deal in the war-torn nation.
“To support mediation efforts and ensure the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), the Chairperson is sending a high-level delegation from the AU Panel of the Wise to Juba. The delegation will engage with all stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue,” a statement from the African Union read.
The AU further urged all parties to adhere to the terms of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which was signed on September 12, 2018.
This latest intervention followed the failed mission by Raila, who was reportedly denied the opportunity to meet with Riek Machar, who is under house arrest.
Machar was apprehended on Wednesday after a convoy of 20 heavily armed vehicles reportedly stormed his Juba residence and disarmed his security personnel.
Raila had been chosen by President William Ruto as part of Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan.
In a press conference on Saturday, March 29, Raila revealed that the South Sudanese government had informed him of an ongoing investigation into the killing of top military commander General Majur Dak.
“I had an in-depth conversation with President Kiir, who told me that a general and over ten other people were killed in Nassir, Upper Nile, and that investigations are underway. As a result, Vice President Riek Machar has been placed under house arrest while these investigations continue,” Raila said.
Following his meeting with Kiir, Raila traveled to Entebbe, Uganda, where he briefed President Yoweri Museveni on the situation in South Sudan.