This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
On September 3, 2019, Sudan's newly appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was expected to officiate a one-on-one meeting between South Sudan's rival leaders, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Dr Riek Machar.
According to Agok Makur, a member of Dr Machar's group SPLM-IO, the meeting was planned to take place in Juba, with the supervision of the new Sudanese Prime Minister.
However, Mr Makur did not provide a specific date for the meeting, citing the ongoing preparations.
The proposed meeting was a result of the efforts by the regional bloc Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) to resolve outstanding issues obstructing the implementation of the September 2018 peace agreement.
Despite the efforts, President Kiir and Dr Machar have been reluctant to meet, with the disagreement on the venue being a major obstacle.
President Kiir had rejected Igad's invitation to meet with Machar in Addis Ababa, instead proposing Juba as the main venue for the talks.
Dr Machar, however, cast doubt over his safety in Juba, citing the need for adequate security arrangements.
