President Kiir [right], Ethiopian PM, Dr Abiy [middle] and Eritrean President waving at crowds during a come together in Juba. File photo/Eye Radio.

President Salva has agreed to a request to include the holdout groups in the revitalized peace agreement, the South Sudan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nhial Deng Nhial, has said.

These are groups mainly under generals Paul Malong Awan and Thomas Cirilo.

“Actually in the next few days there is going to be a meeting that will bring together Ambassador Ismail Wais, the special envoy of IGAD to the Republic of South Sudan with one of holdout group that is led by General Thomas Cirilo,” Nhial said.

Diplomat Nhial confirmed the meeting with Cirilo will take place as scheduled for Friday, and that with Paul Malong on the 10^th in Nairobi, Kenya.

“All these are aimed towards making the peace process become as inclusive as possible.”

This came during the one-day visit of the President of Eritrea and Ethiopian Prime Minister to South Sudan today.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki held a meeting with President Salva Kiir in Juba on Monday morning.

NAS reaction to recent IGAD invite  

On Monday, NAS spokesperson said IGAD was contradicting itself for calling for talks and warning against renegotiation of the peace deal.

IGAD special envoy to South Sudan, Ismail Wais, on Friday sent Thomas Cirilo and his team a letter inviting them for an urgent meeting scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa later this week.

In the letter seen by Eye Radio, Ismail Wais said the meeting will not consider the renegotiation or reopening of the R-ARCSS.

He said it is simply meant to discuss substantive issues regarding the possibility and modalities of Cirilo rejoining the revitalized agreement and the peace.

NAS has often argued that the agreement does address the root causes of the conflict, and the leadership is not after positions.