Mediators say they expect South Sudan’s Kiir in Addis Ababa on Sunday
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
August 15, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – IGAD chief negotiator on South Sudan peace talks, Seyoum Mesfin, on Saturday said he hopes the South Sudanese president Salva Kiir will arrive in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa for direct talks with rebel leader Riek Machar.
However, speaking at a press conference, Mesfin said the South Sudan’s government decision for the vice-president to act on Kiir’s behalf is unacceptable, stressing the talks should be held at principals’ level.
“We expect the parties to be represented in Addis Ababa by their principals, in order to negotiate in good faith and sign an agreement on 17th of August 2015” regional mediators of the east African bloc, said today in a joint statement.
The two rival leaders were supposed to start face-to-face talk on Thursday along with their delegations to resolve a number of contentious issues and sign a final peace deal before August 17 deadline.
The international community has threatened with tougher measures if the two warring parties fail to ink a peace deal.
However president Kiir didn’t show up at venue of talks in Addis Ababa as scheduled although only 48 hours remain for the Monday deadline to expire.
Regional mediators told Sudan Tribune that the South Sudan government had been informed two weeks ago and again was communicated on Wednesday as a reminder for the principal to arrive at venue of talks per the IGAD schedule.
Observers say it is unlikely that the 17 August deadline would be met citing to the two sides’ failure to make a breakthrough on key issues particularly on power sharing since what is said would be a final round of peace talks.
The negotiations resumed on August 6, under the autopsies of an international mediation team (IGAD Plus) led by the IGAD envoys.
Despite Kiir’s absence at peace talks, the chief mediator, Seyoum Mesfin confirmed that the IGAD mediation will not extend the 17 August deadline.
Meanwhile South Sudanese government has denied reports that government negotiators have been called back to Juba for consultations with the president in contradiction to what minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomoro said on Friday.
“It is decided that the first thing to do is to recall the chief negotiator of the government to come and brief the leadership and stakeholders on where they have reached so far in the talks” Lomoro told reporters.
However, South Sudanese information minister and cabinet spokesperson Michael Makuei on Saturday told reporters that “the government delegation is available in Addis Ababa and it will continue with the negotiations up to the end” further affirming government’s committed to peace.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, rebel representatives in Addis Ababa however said the government is not committed to peace pointing to Kiir’s no-show to venue of talks as scheduled by the mediation.
They added the president’s decision undermines the collective efforts by the mediation and by the international community to bring peace for South Sudan.
The 20 months long conflict in the world’s youngest nation has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people.
(ST)