Foreign Cooperation Minister Kumba Outlines Peace Progress at Tokyo Conference

(TOKYO) – South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Monday Semaya K. Kumba, addressed world leaders on Wednesday at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).

The high level plenary session hosted by the Prime Minister of Japan was attended by the United Nations Secretary-General, senior officials of the African Union, representatives from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and other global partners.

The central theme of the session was peace and stability across Africa.

In his remarks, Kumba reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to building peace at home and contributing to stability in the region. He described the progress made by the government in implementing the 2018 Peace Agreement and emphasised the importance of continued collaboration with international partners.

The Minister also pointed out South Sudan’s engagement in mediating the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan. He noted that South Sudan has continued to provide a neutral platform for dialogue, recognising the deep regional and humanitarian implications of the crisis.

He also extended appreciation to Japan for its hospitality and for hosting the conference and praised Japan’s consistent partnership with African nations, including South Sudan, in areas of peace, governance and development.

The Minister’s intervention was warmly received, drawing applause from the audience of heads of state, diplomats and senior representatives of international institutions.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, South Sudan has participated in TICAD since its independence and views the conference as a platform to strengthen bilateral and multilateral ties while advancing national development priorities.