Zambia’s credible record in mediating and brokering peace in Africa has caused President Edgar Lungu to have a task of negotiating for peace between warring parties in South Sudan, a few days after his election as head of state.
President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and that country’s rebel leader, Rieu Machar, requested President Lungu to intervene in the crisis they are facing.
Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Amos Chanda told Zambian journalists in Addis Ababa yesterday that President Lungu has since accepted to intervene in the mediation process.
Yesterday, President Lungu separately held closed meetings with Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar at Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa.
Mr. Chanda said during the meeting, President Kiir expressed gratitude that Mr. Lungu would intervene in the conflict.
He said Mr. Kiir asked President Lungu to exert whatever effort Zambia can use to try and help the rebel leader to come to the negotiating table.
“South Sudan says Zambia has a credible record in peace and mediation efforts and at one time Dr. Kaunda (former President) did mediate in the Sudan crisis,” Mr. Chanda said.
He explained that it was from this background that President Kiir and the rebel leader think that President Lungu, who they earlier dealt with as Minister of Defence, could intervene in South Sudan.
President Lungu has since directed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Chanda to get contacts of the differing parties which has since been done.
Currently, there is an on-going mediation process by IGAD, which is a regional group mediating in the peace process.
President Uhur Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn are already involved in the mediation process.
The South Sudan rebel leader, Riue Machar, was President Salva Kiir’s Vice President but the two differed early last year, forcing the former to rebel against his boss and caused bloody war in the country.
INTELLIGENT EDGAR AT WORK. VERY INTERESTING!!
One can only try. Who knows maybe he can bring something new to the table. Good luck!
Shocking! How on earth can this be when he is failing to tame his cadres in Zambia?
The man has no authority over his cadres and now wants to negotiate peace between warring factions in South Sudan.
At intelligent, kwisa, the ka man refuses to face the press at home to answer questions. He even chickened out of the debates twice.
He is just a fraud, and he knows it. He is controlled by his puppet master Mugabe and RB.
IS IT NOT IN SUDAN WERE WYNTER KABIMBA SENT YOUTHS TO BE TRAINED AS MILITIA
Edgar Lungu need to practice to negotiate on Barotseland issue with rebel Clement Sinyinda. He need to convince those Lozi activists (rebels) to accept to be charged in Zambian Courts. And then we can recommend him to go and help out those PF friends in Sudan.
Good assignment for him to help him understand the Barotse issue and the general unhappiness in Zambia among certain tribes. Monkeys call the Barotse issue fyabupuba due to ignorance. If Sata was still around, this issue was going to blow up in his face.
what peace treaty is he going to midwife when it was signed last week in Tanzania
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Rubbish!! Sudan is none of our business as Zambians we have so many INTERNAL issues that need Lungu’s efforts like creating employment opportunities for our youths, improving the current business & investment climate, working on an Agricultural strategy that will enhance productivity etc. How many wars is Zambia going to solve at the cost of the Zambian economy? We supported Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, ….the list is endless now Sudan! Get your priorities right which is solving Zambia’s problem first!
What peace negotiation can he offer when we have no peace in Zambian markets and stations. First deal with your cadres and ensure that no one is attacked for his or her affiliation to any political party before you try to bring peace to South Sudan.
Let him first convince hh to conceede defeat. Call hh and talkk over a cup of cibwantu and make peace at home before you can convince anyone ou there.
First priority is Domestic issues, there are a lot of problems to be tackled in Zambia. Let the older guys such as Yoweri Museveni and Uhuru Kenyatta handle those never ending wars in Sudan.
@chanda Mukulu don’t be naive. If he helps this could also help our international relations with other countries, with time giving us more control over import and export
Ba Jason I am not talking from without my statement can be supported by empirical evidence! And don’t use condescending terms on me If you have a point just state it without being insulting That’s how sensible people do it. By the way how has Zambia benefited from its involvement in Regional conflicts?
According to the BBC this morning the warring paries in South Sudan have signed a peace accord brokered by Ethiopia. So what is there for Lungu to mediate?
@Citizen: Please let us use our heads and common sense in our debates. Have you even read the entire article?
Quote: “President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and that country’s rebel leader, Rieu Machar, requested President Lungu to intervene in the crisis they are facing.”
President Lungu is NOT, and I repeat NOT, imposing himself on this issue. If the two warring factions in South Sudan have finally signed agreement, that’s good news! And we should all applaud the efforts of those who made this possible. However, it is the same two warring factions who requested President Lungu’s help. Why they did that while knowing that an agreement will be signed a few days later, well, only they know. And if president Lungu’s intervention/help is no longer necessary, all the better!
waiting for the full cabinet,the issue at hand not a factor
This absurd! I thought charity begins at home? How can he help out there when he has failed to attempt resolve the stinking rift of Barotseland Vs Zambia case at home and abroad?
Ineta, u are right. He is not the right person for this. Let him solve problems home first.
Charity begins at home . You won’t impress anyone without solving problems at home. And He wants to go on holiday. In USA it takes the whole year to campaign and don’t go on holiday immediately on assumes office. We are jokers
Why would EL accept this request from abroad when he has not even unpacked his stationery at Plot No. 1? My hunch is he has seen an opportunity to use as an excuse in the near future to go out of the Country for medical treatment.
What he does not realise is that he could be inviting trouble into Zambia from extremist Muslims, and before we know it our citizens will be in paraded on TV for beheading, unless we do xyz in Sudan.
HAHAHAHAHA…..what a bunch of dodos!!!!!!!!!!!
EL’s current situation is that if he turns to the right, some people will say, “Look at you! Why didn’t you turn to the left?”; and vice versa. Fortunately, none of this will stop the clock from ticking!!
So that Zambians causin tribal divisions will fear his negotiation skills.
Is that a way of hiding his weaknesses back home? His party is fragmented and people died in his face as party disciplinary committee chairperson. Just eludes the victims. How can he manage S. Sudan? Moreover, the parties there signed an agreement already. What else does he want?
heh my braazza with the big hat….I can be putting on my white suite and also my white hat and a red necktie and we can meet with Obama and Cameron and to discuss how we can fix the problems in the world and then go for some vodikas….mweh!
I will try to give respect to the Office of the President and give benefit of the doubt that this story must be the result of incompetent journalism. If not, it begs a serious question: why would Kiir or Machar ever even begin to consider caring what any Zambian President thinks or says? Maybe there is a connection between the countries dating back to Kaunda and FJT that is better left in the past and not reactivated please…