South Sudan’s warring parties threaten to resume hostilities
January 7, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese rival parties on Tuesday traded threats to wage an all-out war on each other despite mounting pressure from international community and the regional leaders to impose sanctions, should they fail to reach a negotiated settlement.
“The rebels of Riek have refused to listen to what the international community and the region are saying that peaceful settlement is the only way to resolve this conflict, which is the path the government is following and accepted to negotiate with them without conditions,” Lueth said.
He said there is a general feeling from “our people and in the region” that Juba government should not negotiate with the rebels who seek to seize power through unconstitutional means.
He further said the rebels are not for peace and accused them of shelling Bentiu and Nasir over the past days, in a “clear violation of the ceasefire agreement they have signed”.
When the conflict erupted in December 2013 on the backdrop of demands for reforms within the ruling party and the country’s constitution, Juba government accused the rebels attempting a coup d’etat.
The IGAD brokered peace talks are deadlocked since last year over the attributions of a prime minister to be appointed by the rebels during a transitional period. The rebel SPLM-In Opposition demands to give him large powers enabling him to implement the agreed reforms but the government rejects the demand saying only the elected president has the executive powers.
Lueth warned that the government soldiers would not be prevented from pursuing the rebels to the last destination if they carry out new attacks against the army.
“As the government, our position is very clear. If the rebels attempt to attack us again we will get them. We will give them a hot pursuit and we will not stop except when our forces reach the place they usually start from,” Lueth told reporters.
“This time if they attack us in any place anywhere, then we will give them a hot pursuit, no going back.” he warned.
Meanwhile a leading rebel figure told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday described the minister Lueth as a “warmonger” and claimed he was one of those who instigated to attack the rebels and defeat them militarily .
“Our people and the international community know who Michael Makuei Lueth is. They know that he is one of the warmongers because he feels that if peace comes, he will not get the benefits he is currently getting,” said Ayii Ayii Akol, deputy of head SPLM-In-Opposition humanitarian affairs committee.
Akol denied the allegations that their forces were the first to have launched out the recent offensive against the government troops in the Unity and Upper Nile states, adding that the rebel leader Riek Machar instructed to observe the cessation of hostilities agreement.
He added that the government intends to resume oil production in Unity state in areas under their controls so its armed forces carried out the attack to make more territorial gain to resume production.
The rebel official went further to say that Lueth’s statements are a clear declaration of war by the government, stressing that this is a translation of the plans and threats to end the conflict through war.
“If this is what they want, then they should know we are ready for anything. (…) If they think they have acquired more guns and other advanced weapons that they think it would give them more leverage and capability to end this conflict militarily, then they are wrong,” he emphasised.
Rebel sources disclosed recently that they acquired sophistic weapons including anti-tank and anti-aircraft shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles.
The IGAD mediators last week condemned the resumption of clashes in Unity and Upper Nile states and called on the IGAD leader, the African Union, the United Nations, the Troika, the European Union, and China to join them in pressuring the warring parties to immediately end hostilities and commit to the ongoing peace process.
(ST)