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It Will Take More Than a Face-to-Face Meeting to Bring Peace to South Sudan

It Will Take More Than a Face-to-Face Meeting to Bring Peace to South Sudan
South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, and opposition leader Riek Machar, right, shake hands during peace talks at a hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 21, 2018 (AP photo).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, WPR Senior Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

The embrace lasted for only a few seconds, but each one seemed to be more awkward than the last.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the former vice president who is now a rebel leader, met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week for the first time in nearly two years. At one point, appearing before the media, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attempted to bring the two men together for a hug. “Peace is coming to our region,” Abiy said, smiling broadly. “These two brothers are linking themselves to bring peace to South Sudan.” But Kiir and Machar could hardly look at each other.

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