Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa concludes visit to Kenya and leads SPLM former detainees back to South Sudan
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has today, Monday 1 June 2015 concluded his visit to Nairobi, Kenya and is currently leading a delegation of Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) -Former Detainees- on a journey back home to Juba as part of regional efforts to restore peace and stability in South Sudan and to end the war. The Five SPLM Former Detainees were in Nairobi since December 2013.
Deputy President Ramaphosa jointly with Abdurahman Kinana, the Secretary-General of Tanzania’s ruling party visited Nairobi, Kenya from Sunday 31 May 2015 in their capacity as Co-Guarantors of the SPLM Reunification Agreement. During the visit to Kenya, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, attended Kenya’s National Day celebrations and held a meeting with SPLM (Former Detainees).
On arrival in Juba, later today Monday 1 June 2015, Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to pay a courtesy call on South Sudanese President Salva Kirr and hold meetings with members of the SPLM Politburo.
The visit to South Sudan by Deputy President Ramaphosa comes against the background of regional efforts aimed at cementing lasting peace in South Sudan and consolidating gains made with the signing of the Reunification Agreement in Arusha, Tanzania early this year.
The Reunification Agreement was signed by the various factions of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and is aimed at addressing political, organisational and leadership issues, the source of political crisis in the SPLM and conflict in South Sudan.
The visit to South Sudan is a result of decisions of a meeting held in Pretoria in April this year, hosted by Deputy President Ramaphosa with representatives of SPLM (Juba) and SPLM (Former Detainees), in which consensus was reached on how best to strengthen and implement the Reunification Agreement. The meeting also impressed upon all SPLM factions present to remain focussed on the reunification of the SPLM as a means to unite South Sudan and end the war.
Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to return to South Africa tomorrow, Tuesday 2 June 2015.
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Ronnie Mamoepa
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