South Sudan’s warring parties vow to observe truce and reach peace deal
January 12, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The South Sudanese warring parties recommitted themselves to observes a cessation of hostilities and to work actively under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediated process to end the one-year conflict, Sudanese foreign minister announced in Khartoum on Monday
The Chinese initiative comes after the failure of the regional organisation and the international community to bring the two parties to sign a negotiated settlement. Beijing is the principal investor and buyer of the South Sudanese oil.
In a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and IGAD chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin, Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti told reporters that the warring parties agreed to recommit themselves to the signed cessation of hostilities agreement and stop the fighting immediately, and accelerate efforts to reach an agreement on the formation of a transitional government.
Karti further said the parties agreed to allow humanitarian access to the affected civilians, to protect the foreign personnel and interests in the conflict-areas and to cooperate with the IGAD cessation of hostilities monitors.
Wang warned of the collapse of the peace process, saying that the issue of South Sudan now stands at a crossroads.
“Thanks to the IGAD efforts and courageous step of the parties, the solution moves forwards, and any setback at this stage would collapse the process,” he said.
Wang said the lack of stability in South Sudan was creating great confusion and was also impacting on regional stability.
“This is what the international community does not want to see happening, and we are in China as friends also do not like to see this happening,” he said.
He noted that Khartoum consultative meeting did not mean to propose a new mechanism to resolve the conflict in South Sudan, but an attempt to support the IGAD process to reach a peaceful settlement, and to prepare for the upcoming head of states and government summit on the conflict.
“From this angle consultations perfectly achieved its objectives and sent a clear message to the world,” Wang said.
The Chinese minister announced the intention of his country to send, a combat infantry battalion of 700 troops to the South Sudan in the framework of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, and pointed out it will be the first force of its kind that China sends abroad.
For his part, IGAD chief mediator considered Khartoum conference as “an important milestone”, adding that China is “a reliable friend and vital partner to the African continent and the Republic of South Sudan, which is facing challenges”.
The two warring parties had pledged several times in the past to implement a cessation of hostilities signed on 23 January 2014. They also vowed to facilitated the humanitarian access to the war areas and to protect the international staff.
REBELS CALL ON CHINA TO HELP END WAR
Chief negotiator for the rebel faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), Taban Deng Gai, has appreciated the latest role played by the Chinese government to bring the warring parties to a consultative dialogue.
The rebels chief negotiator further called on the member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to continue to play an effective, but impartial role in helping to end the over one-year-old war in South Sudan.
In his opening speech in the China-initiated consultative conference on peace in South Sudan, Deng also stressed that the proposed deployment of Chinese troops to the region should be strictly under the mandate and command of the current United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The rebel official earlier on in the day met with the Chinese foreign minister.
South Sudan is represented by foreign minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin, who led his party’s delegation.
SPLM-IO’s chief negotiator told reporters in Khartoum that his group is willing to implement all the decision of the meeting and facilitate the humanitarian access to the needy pointing that the root causes of the conflict must be addressed in order to correctly forge a political settlement that would bring a lasting peace and stability.
The official stressed the need to introduce various reforms in the governing system under federalism, reiterating their position for a transitional leadership structure that would include ceremonial president as head of state and prime minister to head government.
(ST)