South Sudanese rebel leader Thomas Cirillo has rejected an invitation from the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (Igad) to attend a mediation session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 8. The regional bloc extended the offer on March 1, but Cirillo's faction, the National Salvation Front (NAS), argued the summons was directed solely at him as an individual, not as a representative of the group.
NAS spokesman Suba Samuel told Eye Radio in Juba that the invitation was 'not possible' to accept, emphasizing the letter's exclusive address to Cirillo. The faction has previously refused to endorse the September 2018 peace agreement that reunited President Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar.
Igad has warned of designating Cirillo a 'peace spoiler' over his resistance to mediation efforts. The bloc also confirmed it would not renegotiate the existing peace deal. Meanwhile, President Kiir has proposed offering Cirillo a role in the upcoming unity government if he joins the revitalized peace process.
