Twelve civil society groups wrote to the President of the Republic not to invite his Sudanese counterpart to Juba for a presidential summit but hold the critical meeting outside South Sudan.
The civil societies wrote in an open letter to Salva Kiir Mayardit that to host the international fugitive Omar Al Bashir in Juba, to turn a blind eye to the warrants for his arrest, to grant him leave to set foot on South Sudanese soil for the first time since independence, does a disservice to the survivors of his atrocities.The signatories of the open letter recognize that the presidential summit between Mr Kiir and Mr Al Bashir and its implications for peace between the two countries should not be understated.
However, they urge Mr Kiir to adopt a policy of holding any meetings with Mr Al Bashir and other Sudanese officials wanted by the International Criminal Court outside South Sudan.
The civil society group also asked the Government of South Sudan to sign the Rome Statute and international human rights treaties.