IGAD has requested President Uhuru Kenyatta to deploy a team of experts to support the next phase of the South Sudan peace process.
This comes after the signing of the Agreement on Outstanding Issues on Governance and Security Arrangements on Sunday in Khartoum after talks facilitated by President Omar Hassan al Bashir of Sudan.
According to a communique of the Extra-Ordinary Summit held on Sunday, Bashir will continue facilitating the talks with "the same spirit of inclusivity and commendable vigour" until the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan is finally signed.
"Cognisant of the momentum, IGAD leaders resolved that after the signing of the Agreement on Outstanding Issues on Governance and Security Arrangements today, President Omar Hassan Al Bashir shall continue facilitating the talks," the communique reads in part.
"In this regard, it was agreed that H.E Uhuru Kenyatta supports the next phase by deploying a team of experts to support the finalisation of the process."
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A previous communique released on June 22 indicated President Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar will meet for talks in Khartoum under the mediation of Bashir, and then proceed to a third phase of the face-to-face dialogue in Nairobi, hosted by President Kenyatta within two weeks. The latter did not happen.
The meeting with Uhuru was to be the final part of the talks, and he was to be briefed by Bashir on the progress made in Khartoum.
They discussed and resolved the outstanding issues on governance and security arrangements, including measures proposed in the revised Bridging Proposal of the IGAD Council of Ministers, which they signed on Sunday.
“Today, I offer you the promise of the Kenyan People. As we have done, we shall continue to walk with you from this moment of great expectation to the full implementation of a Revitalized Agreement.”
While Kiir said on Friday the agreement will not collapse, there were concerns after he appeared to ignore Machar's handshake after signing of the agreement.
In August 2015, the two warring parties — the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement and the SPLM-in -Opposition — agreed to a peace agreement, bringing to an end the two-year civil war. It provided for the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity of the Republic of South Sudan (unification of forces under a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian assistance), transitional justice, accountability and reconciliation.
However, on the eve of the country’s fifth independence anniversary, clashes broke out between supporters of President Kiir and Vice President Machar, leaving 279 people dead and sparking another protracted crisis.