S. Sudan’s warring parties rule out next month’s resumption of peace talks

May 30, 2015 (JUBA) – Peace talks between South Sudan’s warring parties will not commence next month, despite earlier pronouncements from the country’ presidency.

“Peace talks are not resuming talks on 8th June. The IGAD has called for a consultative meeting between the parties involved in the negotiations. I will be going with other two members as the government delegation as directed by the president in response to the invitation extended to us by the IGAD,” Nhial Deng Nhial, South Sudan government’s chief negotiator told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, chairman of the external relations committee for the armed opposition, equally confirmed that his group received invitation from the regional bloc for a consultative meeting to be convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 8-10 June.

The armed opposition leadership, Wol said, will be represented in the upcoming consultative meeting by its chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai and two other members.

He could not disclose names of the officials who will accompany their lead negotiator, stressing that the selection would be made by the leadership of the armed opposition.

South Sudan’s former justice minister, John Luk Jok, who speaks on behalf of the former detainees, also said his group had received an invitation letter from IGAD to participate in the consultative meeting to be held in the Ethiopian capital, next month.

“I am not aware of the resumption of peace talks on the date you have said. What I know is that there will be a consultative meeting on 8th June. This is what I know. IGAD has called for consultations and we have received the invitation to participate in these consultations,” he said.

Jok did not reveal names of those representing them at the consultative meeting.

The consultations will begin on 7-9 June and compromise of the lead negotiators with two other members from each of the invited parties, explained the former justice minister.

The office of the South Sudanese presidency announced on Wednesday that IGAD, which is mediating the talks aimed at finding a solution to the conflict in the country had invited the rival factions to resume negotiations on 8 June in the Ethiopian capital.

The decision, a presidential aide said, was reached at a consultative meeting between president Salva Kiir and two foreign ministers from Ethiopia and Kenya who visited the world’s youngest nation on Wednesday on behalf of regional leaders involved in the talks.

In March, the East African regional bloc proposed an IGAD-Plus structure that will bring in other African regions, including South Sudan’s development partners such as the African Union, the United Nations, China and the Troika, the key funders of the peace talks, which comprises of the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and Norway.

The mediators’ decision came days after the South Sudanese president and opposition leader, Riek Machar failed to agree on a permanent peace deal, despite pledging to end the conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions of people since it broke out in December 2013.

(ST)