South Sudan Peace Talks Extended; IGAD Submits New Peace Proposal

Peace talks between South Sudan’s warring parties have been extended for 48 hours, after they were supposed to end on Monday, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan reported.

The extension comes after closed-door negotiations between the government and the opposition in Ethiopia achieved little progress.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) – an eight-member East African trade bloc – has drafted a proposal that seeks to address “many of the major sticking points that have prevented a peace deal,” reported Voice of America.

South Sudan’s warring parties are expected to discuss the proposal, dubbed a “bridging proposal,” on Wednesday, according to VOA.

The proposal on security and governance issues suggests a new power-sharing arrangement that distributes power between warring parties.

Trump Says North Korea Summit May Be Delayed

A historic summit between Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un next month may be delayed, the U.S. president said on Tuesday, according to the BBC.

Trump said that North Korea would need to meet certain conditions before the summit could take place. He did not specify what the conditions were, but he told a reporter that “denuclearization” was a key demand.

The summit, which would mark the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, is part of a wider effort to denuclearize North Korea and achieve reconciliation between the U.S. and the country.

South Korea’s Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday that “the fate and the future of the Korean Peninsula hinge” on the meeting, according to the Associated Press.

The AP said the summit “offers a historic chance for peace on the peninsula.”

Clashes in Kashmir Undermine Cease-Fire

India announced a cessation of hostilities in the disputed region of Kashmir on May 16, in the first such cease-fire in 18 years, the Associated Press reported.

India said that during the month of Ramadan it would end counterinsurgency operations against rebels who are seeking to end Indian control over the region, which is located near neighboring Pakistan.

The cease-fire is meant to allow Muslims in Kashmir to observe Ramadan in an environment of peace. However, clashes between Kashmiri civilians and Indian police have undermined the agreement.

Clashes erupted on Friday between Indian police and Kashmiri demonstrators, who were protesting against Israeli killings in Gaza, according to the National. Clashes also broke out between security forces and Kashmiri “youth” on Saturday in the Baramulla district, according to the Times of India. At least one minor was wounded after he was hit with a rubber bullet. Four girls were also reportedly wounded on Monday, when the Indian army fired at protesters in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Meanwhile, cross-border fire between Pakistani and Indian forces on Friday killed at least eight civilians and one Indian soldier, according to the National.

Recommended Reads:

• The National: Peace in Yemen Needs More Than Two Parties
• Stratfor: For Afghanistan, a Divided Taliban Poses an Obstacle to Peace
• Foreign Policy: Forget the Libya Model. South Africa Shows the Path to Peace With Pyongyang
• Anadolu Agency: Exiled Dissidents Return to Ethiopia in Search of Peace
• The Globe and Mail: Canada Must Be Unafraid in Its Quest for Justice for the Rohingya