Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in South Sudan on Monday ahead of bilateral talks with Salva Kiir.
The two leaders arrived in Juba from Asmara, where they held a tripartite meeting on Sunday with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Juba talks are expected to focus on regional peace, economic ties and infrastructure development, as well as ways to bolster regional cooperation and integration.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir had to cut short a trip to the northwestern state of Bahr el Ghazal in order to meet the visiting leaders.
PM Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki have arrived in Juba, South Sudan. During their stay in Juba, they will hold discussions with President Salva Kiir and other higher government officials on regional peace, economic ties and infrastructure dev’t. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/bVjNgqLzyn
— Office of the Prime Minister – Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 4, 2019
Ethiopia has been a key player in the quest for peace in South Sudan. The country’s capital, Addis Ababa, held various high-stake meetings between the rivaling South Sudan factions, which ultimately bore a peace deal that was signed in September 2018.
South Sudan has been dogged by violence since December 2015, sparked by a feud between the country’s political hierarchy.
The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, prompting the UN in 2017 to rank South Sudan as Africa’s biggest refugee crisis.
Ethiopia led other regional governments in initiating a dialogue process between the warring factions, with hopes of lasting peace.
The September peace deal will see South Sudan get a unity government which will stay in place until an election is held.
The Juba trip is the latest show of unity between PM Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki, who agreed to end a conflict that had put their two countries at loggerheads for over a decade.
The two nations now enjoy strong ties, evident by the number of visits by both leaders to the opposite sides.
