South Sudan’s rebels receive from AU copy of report on atrocities

July 30, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese armed opposition faction of the country’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by former vice-president, Riek Machar, said it had finally received from the African Union (AU) the copy of the long awaited report on crimes committed by warring parties in the region since the outbreak of violence in the national capital, Juba, on 15 December 2013.

“The SPLM/SPLA has, today, Thursday the 30th of July 2015, received the long awaited report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan conflict. We commend the AU for having taken the decision to serve the copy to us,” said the top opposition leader, Riek Machar, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

“The Report shall be studied thoroughly and thereafter avail our observations and recommendations to the upcoming Heads of State and Government AU-PSC’ Summit scheduled for the second week of August 2015,” further reads the statement.

The rebel group on Monday expressed disappointment over AU’s decision to only invite president Salva Kiir’s government to the AU-PSC meeting on the report and for earlier only serving the government with the copy of the report. The armed opposition group protested and demanded that their faction should also be served with the copy and attend further discussions on the subject matter.

Machar in his Thursday’s statement also called on the AU to “officially release” the report to the public.

He said publication of the report will positively impact on the peace process, observing that the report had “addressed issues of accountability in regards to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity since 15 December 2013.”

He also said the report addressed national reconciliation and healing as well as initiation of reforms in the governance system in South Sudan.

The opposition leader’s observation of the report was a bit contrary to the earlier expression by the government’s foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, who said the report did not talk of genocide or crimes committed by the warring parties, adding it only mentioned that fighting took place and recommended reconciliation and healing in ending the conflict.

It is expected that the report will be released publicly after the scheduled summit of the AU’s heads of state and government by the end of August.

(ST)