ADDIS ABABA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations (UN) on Friday agreed to redouble efforts to support the implementation of South Sudan revitalized peace agreement.

The AU Peace and Security Commissioner, Smail Chergui, the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Ismail Wais, and the UN Special Representative to South Sudan, David Shearer, have briefed the AU partners in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on the current situation in South Sudan, according to a joint statement by the three bodies on Friday.

The AU, IGAD and UN recognized the efforts of the incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity in creating the conditions for opposition leaders to return to Juba and participate in peace implementation mechanisms and commended opposition leaders to return and participate in the implementation of the agreement.

The revitalized peace agreement has changed the trajectory of the situation in South Sudan from that of conflict to enable a significant reduction in political violence, and the three have commended the parties for their courage to embrace peace.

The AU, IGAD and UN have also urged all holdout groups to adhere to the cessation of hostilities agreement and urgently commit to the peace process.

They observed that key challenges remain at the eve of the end of the pre-transition and strongly encouraged the parties to renew their commitment and accelerate their efforts to the implementation of the agreement, in letter and spirit.

They further urged the parties to implement the agreement fully and transparently in a manner that engenders trust and confidence of the South Sudanese population and its partners.

The AU, IGAD and UN underlined that it is imperative for the parties to prioritize security arrangement in order for the process of the unification of forces to be expedited to enable the safe return for all opposition leaders to Juba.

The three bodies have stressed the importance for the parties to reach consensus on the modalities to ensure an orderly move from the pre-transition to the transition phase without any delays and communicate their intentions to South Sudanese population.

They have cautioned against complacency, stressing that the cost of failure is unacceptable and called on the parties to take necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition.

The AU, IGAD and UN called on partners to continue to demonstrate unity of purpose and extend tangible support to the implementation of the peace agreement.

They have reaffirmed their determination and collective commitment to supporting the implementation of the agreement. Enditem

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