S. Sudanese activists organise consultative forum on peace talks
June 3, 2015 (WAU) – South Sudanese civil society activists have organised a one-day consultative meeting on peace talks between the country’s two warring factions mediated by regional leaders.
Religious leaders and political parties attended the forum, organised by Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO).
“Today, CEPO in Western Bahr el Ghazal state with support from Justice Africa is organising a one day consultative meeting aimed at gathering ideas on challenges facing both the Inter-governmental Authority for Development and civil society organisation at the peace venue in Addis Ababa,”, said CEPO’s state coordinator, Stephen Robo.
“We need public demands on how the Financial Bill will look like,” he added.
The forum, Robo said, will also explore ways of how taxes can be collected to save the seemingly collapsing South Sudan economy.
“Since our financial situation appears to be collapsing, there is a need for us to find a possible situation of collecting the national taxes that would help rebuild our national economy,” he stressed.
The official further said the forum will also suggest ideas to the mediators and other stakeholders in the negotiation between the warring parties in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Both IGAD and other mediating terms are having a lot of weakness during this peace talk. Therefore, this consultation meeting will help the mediating teams by providing them with ideas for the two warring parties to reach a lasting peace,” said Robo.
Peace talks between the rebels and government hit a deadlock on 6 March prompting the mediators to initiate an IGAD-Plus arrangement, involving the five African countries, the African Union, United Nations and the Troika (Britain, Norway and United States).
The negotiations, being brokered by the East African regional bloc offers the best chance to end nearly 18 months of conflict in the world’s youngest nation.
(ST)