S. Sudan denies setting precedent with Greater Pibor status agreement

May 13, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan has denied that an agreement signed with rebel leader David Yau Yau last week granting Jonglei state’s Pibor county special status will set a precedent in the country.

Clement Jada, the government’s chief negotiator in Yau Yau talks that culminated to the signing of a final agreement on Friday, told reporters on Tuesday that “this agreement brings peace to greater Pibor and the whole of South Sudan.

“The agreement gives Pibor county, where David Yau Yau’s four years rebellion was based, a special status under the office of the president. The agreement recognises borders of greater Pibor area that include Pochala county in Jonglei state as indicated on the map based on January 1st 1956 when Sudan gained independence from British”, Jada said.

“Those borders will be what respected in the implementation of greater Pibor agreement,” he added.

The agreement, according to Jada, will come into effect 30 days after 9 May signing.

“The agreement will be rectified by councils of states,” he revealed.

Jada dismissed claims that the lack of development in Greater Pibor area could also be used by other parts of the country as precedent to claim special status.

“Do you think that is necessary?” he responded when asked by journalists

“It became necessary [in Pibor] because the people expressed their grievances and we had to stop that by lifting their problems to the national level,” he added.

“Now we are preparing for the implementation of the agreement. The president will issue necessary decree creating a special status for the Greater Pibor administrative area and then the appointment for the chief administrator and the rest of things will follow,” further said Jada.

Yau Yau rebelled after losing 2010 elections to ruling SPLM candidate citing fraud. He returned to Juba in 2011 following a presidential amnesty, but resumed rebellion two years later.

(ST)