S. Sudan welcomes extension of peace talks with rebels

March 13, 2015 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has welcomed extension of peace talks with rebels after direct negotiations between two warring factions hit a deadlock a week ago.

“As the government, we welcome the extension of the talks because finding a solution to the problem requires participation of not only the two parties to the conflict but also those affected by their actions,” foreign minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said Friday.

“And involving everybody takes time because it is a process”, he added.

South Sudan president, Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar on 6 March failed to agree on a permanent peace deal, despite pledging to end the conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions of people since its outbreak in 2013.

Marial, however, commended the African Union and the United Nations Security Council for giving the two sides an opportunity to iron out their differences through dialogue, instead of violence and for indicating readiness to delay imposition of targeted sanctions.

The minister’s remarks follows a visit to Africa by a team from the UNSC, during which they agreed with the AU to grant both warring parties more time to reach a peace deal or face possible sanctions.

Ismael Gaspar Martins, Angola’s ambassador to the world body made this announcement following a joint meeting with officials from the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, Thursday.

“It takes time to resolve problems which are not simple,” said Martins, who co-chaired of the AUPSC meeting in the Ethiopian capital.

“It also takes time to bring leaders together and create cohesion,” he stressed.

Last week, members of the UNSC unanimously adopted a resolution permitting the creation of a system to impose sanctions on individuals or entities perceived to be obstructing the peace process.

Luka Biong Deng, the director for peace and development studies at Juba University says president Kiir has a lot to share with the people of South Sudan to renew any lost hope among the public.

“We are in a real crisis and it is becoming more complicated, there is a feeling of despair among the people especially; they attached a lot of hope to the peace talks in Addis Ababa and everybody was expecting that by 5th March, peace would come to the country,” Deng told Sudan Tribune during a Friday interview.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led talks between the two warring parties will resume next month, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said Wednesday.

(ST)