Jonglei citizens urge IGAD to reverse the compromise peace deal
August 17, 2015 (BOR) – A day after South Sudan president, Salva Kiir failed to sign the compromise peace promise seeking to end nearly two years of conflict in the country, citizens of Jonglei state have expressed support for the position taken by government.
Nhial Majak Nhial, the mayor of Bor municipality, said the nation was now able to see who imposed war on its people. He said the peace being imposed would not work.
“This document is going to tell us exactly whose war the people of South Sudan are fighting because many of us suspect that this war is being imposed on the people with hidden agenda and these agenda are becoming almost very clear when this document was proposed by outsider group without consultations with our principals who are the heads of the warring parties and very soon we will be able to know the sons and daughters of theRepublic of South Sudan who are perpetrators of these document”, said Nhial.
Elisabeth Mark, in intellectual from Bor, was against the peace process by IGAD.
“I hope the South Sudan will be in peace. The IGAD has really dictated the process, if you’re giving 53 per cent to people of Upper Nile, how about the rest, South Sudan has 63 ethnic groups, and how many are you giving to them? I belief they are complicating the process. I hope they will sign but if theystill dictate, I don’t think there will be peace”, she said.
Racheal Athiek, is a lawmaker representing Duk county in Jonglei state assembly said Jonglei is waiting to receive a comprehensive peace that will be respected by all parties.
“We in Jonglei state, we need peace. As a community, we need peace to signed but for the last few days , Jonglei state had already rejected the proposal of the IGAD because we don’t this country to have two armies, If there is a change, peace will be signed”, said Athiek.
Jacob Kuany, a youth member, rejected the percentages that were proposed in the document, apart from the other provisions including the two armies.
“If IGAD has not revised the paper(proposal), then it is not going to be easy. Two armies in one country, 53% to be given to opposition is not easy because it is like the country isgoing to break up”, said Kuany.
Although majority of the people were waiting to hear the two parties appending their signatures on the revised peace proposal as communicated on Sunday, it was again a surprised when the last document showed no difference with the first one.
Both Machar who led the rebellion in mid December 2013 and South Sudan ruling party (SPLM) secretary, Pagan Amum, on behalf of the former detainees, signed the document.
Majority of the South Sudanese support the President for not signing the document in its current nature. Demilitarisation of the national capital of Juba, two seperates armies for 18 months and power sharing remained the issues detested by the government.
(ST).