South Sudan’s violence tops AU summit agenda

Renewed fighting in South Sudan that has claimed more than 300 lives is to dominate an African Union summit, which opened yesterday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

A shaky ceasefire has held since late last Monday following the fighting that raged for four days in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, leaving hundreds dead and forcing 40,000 to flee their homes, according to AFP.

The violence echoed the fighting that triggered the civil war and marks a fresh blow to last year’s deal to end the bitter conflict that began when President Salva Kiir accused former rebel and now Vice President, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup.

The unrest has also plunged into doubt a peace deal struck in August 2015 between the two sides.

Speaking to the regional grouping IGAD in Kigali at the weekend, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said a “critical stage” in the South Sudan crisis had been reached.

“Now is the time to send a strong message to the South Sudanese leadership,” he said.

“The people of South Sudan have been let down by their own leadership. Their hopes and dreams have been tarnished at the expense of warring parties enriching and empowering themselves.

“We cannot and will not tolerate this. The engagement of all is needed to provide a framework that will address the current security crisis but also human rights,” he added.

South Sudan is just one of the crises shaking the continent that African leaders will address during the summit.

The AU will also seek to hammer out a solution to the crisis engulfing Burundi where a spate of killings have rocked the country since President Pierre Nkurunziza’s announced in April 2015 that he would seek a third term.

Also on the crowded AU agenda will be the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram jihadist group that has its roots in northern Nigeria but has carried out attacks across the Lake Chad region.