Thousands protest against IGAD’s peace proposal in Jonglei

August 1, 2015 (BOR) – Thousands of people, comprising intellectuals, women and chiefs took to the streets of Bor, the Jonglei state capital on Saturday to protest against the recent Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) draft peace proposal.

Peace talks between South Sudan’s warring factions are expected to resume on 6 August in Ethiopia as mediators attempt a break through in negotiations.

In the draft proposal recently shared by the regional bloc, there is a suggestion of power between rebels, government, former political detainees and the other politcal parties, with the award of the position of first vice president to the rebel leader, Riek Machar.

However, majority of those who demonstrated argued that the proposed peace agreement meant giving out the national oil resource mainly within the Upper Nile region.

A strongly-worded petition was written to the IGAD peace negotiators. It was signed by youth representatives from the Bor, Duk and Twic counties plus their paramount chiefs.

The protest recalled the 1991 killing of Dinka Bor civilians when Machar defected from his then seat as the second in command of the armed struggle under late John Garang.

The protestors said they would not forgive those who committed crimes against humanity in 1991 and 2013.

“We have rejected the proposal of IGAD which maintain the position of first vice president to the rebel leader Riek Machar,” the petition read in part.

It also rejected surrendering of the Greater Upper Nile region to the armed opposition forces, stressing that this was likely to further escalate war in the oil-rich region.

“We reject the surrender of Upper Nile to hands of rebels, which mechanism was used by IGAD to give rebels this percentage” continued the petition, adding “That is why we rejected it at all; a government should not be based on tribes”.

They referred to the creation of two separate armies in one country and demilitarisation of Juba by foreign troops as an act of re-colonisation and abuse of a sovereign nation.

“We cannot accept that as citizens of this country, because south Sudan is an independent state with its sovereignty guide by constitution,” noted the petition.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly 2 million displaced in South Sudan’s worst outbreak of violence since it broke away from neighboring Sudan in 2011.

(ST)