South Sudan’s national dialogue co-chair Angelo Beda on Thursday admitted to difficulties in meeting opposition groups abroad in order to participate in the dialogue process initiated by President Kiir.

“We have difficulties to meet our opposition outside. The opposition whom we want to meet and include them in the national dialogue like Dr. Riek Machar, Lam Akol and others that have gone to neighbouring countries,” said Angelo after meeting a delegation of the East African regional bloc IGAD in Juba yesterday.

The elderly politician called on the East Africa's security and trading bloc to facilitate their meetings with South Sudan opposition groups. He also urged the regional body to help erase the sense of doubts about the national dialogue among the international community.

“Also the international community some of them have doubts about our process, so those of IGAD will be able say it is a complementary process and it is useful and it should be supported,” he said.

 Earlier this month, a national dialogue team led by Angelo Beda returned to Juba from South Africa without meeting with the exiled opposition leader Riek Machar.

The opposition leader declined to meet the national dialogue committee, citing the need to stop the ongoing war as a priority.

In December 2016, President Kiir, whose wrangling for power with his former deputy Riek Machar plunged the world's newest nation into a brutal conflict, called for "national dialogue" to end the civil war.

But the main opposition group led by former vice president Riek Machar described the dialogue process to end the country’s ongoing conflict as bogus.