S. Sudan’s top rival leaders to join peace talks on Thursday

August 12, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Top South Sudanese rival leaders in the country’s 20-month long civil war are expected to join direct negotiations between their delegations on Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, opposition’s spokesperson has confirmed.

President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, turned armed opposition leader, Riek Machar, have reportedly been called to Addis Ababa by the mediation of the East African regional bloc, IGAD, to join the talks as the 17 August deadline for them to sign a final peace agreement approaches.

“Yes, our chairman, Cde Dr. Riek Machar, has been informed to meet Salva Kiir in Addis Ababa on Thursday,” said Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak.

He said Machar had already returned to Addis Ababa from his official mission in Pretoria, South Africa, and was ready to meet president Kiir in the Ethiopian capital.

Dak added that many contentious issues have remained unresolved in the ongoing negotiations between the delegations of the government and the opposition group.

IGAD-Plus said it would incorporate into its peace compromise proposal any agreement reached on the outstanding issues, but will however impose its proposed agreement in areas where there is no agreement between the warring parties.

The two parties, IGAD-Plus said, should sign a final peace agreement by 17 August, next Monday, warning of tough measures against any party that will refuse to ink the proposed deal.

Sources close to the recent meeting of regional leaders in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, however said President Yoweri Museveni was attempting to convince Ethiopian, Kenyan and Sudanese leaders to extend the deadline, arguing that the proposal was reportedly from the “White man.”

The Monday meeting of the four countries between the two presidents of Uganda and Kenya, prime minister of Ethiopia and foreign minister of Sudan however concluded that the deadline should remain in place.

Another regional meeting of the heads of state and government is expected to take place on 15 August in Addis Ababa to further discuss the South Sudan’s peace process, two days ahead of the deadline in preparation for the signing of the peace agreement.

Rebel leader’s spokesperson said the opposition group is committed to the IGAD-led peace process in Addis Ababa, expressing hope that the rebels’ proposed amendments would be incorporated into the proposed IGAD-Plus text to sign the agreement.

MACHAR COMMITS TO ARUSHA PROCESS

Dak also said the armed opposition group is committed to the reunification process of the ruling SPLM party in the Tanzanian town of Arusha.

He said Machar this week had held discussions with the South African deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, while in Pretoria, on the importance of completing the SPLM intra-party reunification process in Arusha.

He said Machar explained to the South African leadership the need to complete the process of the party’s reunification in Arusha so that it could also be ready for implementation together with a peace agreement which would emanate from the peace process in Addis Ababa.

He further stressed that there were still aspects of the party’s road map agreement that needed to be worked out in Arusha so that it became a ready document for implementation.

“It is important that the reunification document is worked out and translated into the SPLM party’s constitution. Work on basic documents of the party should be completed in Arusha,” he said.

He pointed out the commitment of the opposition’s leadership to the reunification process, saying more discussions with the mediators will take place in this regard.

(ST)