S. Sudan rival forces threaten all-out war after failed talks
March 6, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s rival forces have threatened an all-out war as a means to achieve their own objectives after President Salva Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar failed to reach a consensus at the negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“To prove that the government of Salva Kiir and his friends in Juba is not ready for peace, they moved out of their positions in Dukduk area in Renk County, Upper Nile state, to attack our position of our forces there. They also did the same in Sir Milaka in Raja county, western Bahr el Ghazal state on Thursday,” said Kuot.
The rebel official insisted president Kiir’s government believes peace would only be achieved through war, not the series of negotiations mediated by regional leaders.
“Their intention is two folds; to show the world that they can bring peace by force and claim that we are not ready for peace and so want to show we are the ones who carried out these attacks,” said Kuot.
According to the rebel official, the general command of South Sudan army held an emergency meeting at the military base in Juba during which they allegedly instructed the negotiating team not to accept calls for reforms in the army and security.
“From that meeting which was called and chaired by Chief of general Staff, Paul Malong Awan, who was online with Salva Kiir from Addis, declared that they (pro government army) are not ready to accept the creation of the two armies in one country no matter the amount of pressure,” Kuot told Sudan Tribune.
“They also declared total rejection to a reform in security sector. They want to maintain the status quo, which is unacceptable. If they want war which they caused, we are ready”, he assured.
Several military officials, in a series of interviews, also questioned the motives behind the opposition proposal for the creation of the two armed forces in one country.
“There is no secret in the position of the two armies in one country. The general command had already made it very clear that it would not recognize and support any agreement that accepts the creation of the two armies. The reason that is that it will set a bad precedent and anybody can rebel and demand to have separate army. If that happens there is no point to have any army”, Lt. General Chol Thon said on Friday.
“There will only be collections of armed militia groups, which is unacceptable, deputy chief of general staff for moral orientation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the SPLA spokesperson, Col. Philip Aguer said their forces would go on the offensive after rebels allegedly attacked army positions in Upper Nile and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.
At least 15 soldiers were reportedly killed and several others sustained injuries.
“In view of the repeated violations, the SPLA has observed that Riek Machar and his commanders are not listening to the regional bodies in the search for peace,” “Because of these violations, the SPLA forces will not be in their trenches and wait for the rebels to attack every time”, Aguer told the state-owned SSTV on Friday.
“The general command has now instructed the SPLA forces to have mobile forces. They will not have to wait for the rebels to attack them again in their positions”, he added.
South Sudan’s Kiir and leader of the rebel faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) failed to meet the deadline set by regional mediators for the two sides to strike a final and comprehensive peace deal on Thursday.
The war in South Sudan is estimated to cost between $22-28bn over the next five years.
(ST)