South Sudanese rebels say happy with the peace deal
August 24, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) said they are happy with the peace agreement their leadership signed on 17 August in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to end the 20-month long civil war in the country.
East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has been mediating between the two rival factions since January 2014. However, a recent IGAD-Plus peace proposal made it possible to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Machar inked the deal but president Kiir has been reluctant to sign it with observers however saying he will have no other option but to follow suit under regional and international pressure.
Rebels said although they had some reservations in the document, it was worth it to end the suffering of the people.
“Of course the IGAD-Plus peace document has not addressed all our concerns. It is however a bitter pill we have decided to swallow in order to end the suffering of our people,” Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Monday.
He said there are many positive aspects in the document which will change the country, saying their leader was put in charge of the reforms agenda they had been yearning for.
“As the saying goes, South Sudan will never be the same again. The fact that the peace agreement has given the responsibility to the office of the First Vice President to ensure the implementation of the agreement, and to initiate reforms in the government, is something we really like,” he said.
He also said the rebel leader will oversee preparation and consideration of government business and programmes as well as ensure implementation of the Council of Ministers’ resolutions and laws passed by the national parliament.
Machar, he added, will also chair cabinet clusters which will be responsible for initiating policies in various ministries that will be tabled to cabinet meetings for approval.
Dak added that this is besides the fact that the opposition leader will remain the commander-in-chief of his forces for a period of one and a half years with his separate chief of general staff for the SPLA-IO and the rest of military leadership as well as areas of control.
“This is to say there are many positive aspects in the peace deal as there are also some negative aspects,” he said.
He revealed that one of the provisions that the rebel supporters did not like most was maintaining president Kiir, whom they accused of genocide, as the president of the country for the period of transitional government, but added that this was the cost of ending the war so that the issue of leadership will be tackled through elections.
He however said the “collegial decision-making process” in the top executive leadership per the peace deal has arrested president Kiir’s powers not to unilaterally make decisions as he will have to first consult and agree with the first vice president and cabinet, on major matters in implementing the agreement and administering the would-be cabinet.
Official sources who attended an expanded consultative meeting in Juba on Monday by the collective leadership of the government which was chaired by president Kiir revealed to Sudan Tribune that Kiir will lead a delegation to Addis Ababa by the end of the week and sign the peace deal.
(ST)