World leaders react to peace deal in South Sudan
August 26, 2015 (WASHINGTON) – World leaders have welcomed the signing of the South Sudan’s peace agreement by president Salva Kiir on Wednesday in Juba, but said the “reservations” mentioned by the South Sudanese leader were therefore meaningless, warning of sanctions against him and his circles should he attempt to illegally bring them up during implementation of the IGAD Plus brokered peace deal.
“The United Nations stands ready to support the parties in the implementation of this agreement in close cooperation with IGAD, the AU and the international partners,” partly reads the statement.
In the discussions on Tuesday to impose sanctions on the government should president Kiir fail to sign the peace agreement, UN Security Council also said the possibility of imposing the sanctions during the period of implementation of the agreement will remain an option on the table even if president Kiir signed the deal on Wednesday.
The UN body also raised concern about the insistence by president Kiir in mentioning his government’s reservations to the deal, seeing it as a sign of future trouble-making approach in the implementation of the accord that can attract sanctions in the transitional period.
European Union (EU) issued a statement on Wednesday, commending the final decision by president Kiir to follow suit and sign the IGAD compromise agreement as previously inked by the South Sudanese armed opposition leader, Riek Machar, and other stakeholders, including Pagan Amum, secretary general of the ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“Today, President Kiir decided to sign the peace agreement endorsed by other South Sudanese parties in Addis Ababa on 17 August 2015,” says a joint statement signed by the EU’s High Representative/Vice President, Federica Mogherini.
He called on the South Sudanese parties to fully implement the peace agreement to end the suffering of the people of the war-ravaged region.
The chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Nkosazana Zuma, also issued a statement in reaction to the peace deal, urging the parties to immediately begin its implementation and adhere to all its provisions.
“The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the AU’s commitment to fully support the implementation process of the Agreement and its determination, alongside IGAD and other international stakeholders, to ensure that all its provisions are adhered to,” partly reads the statement.
President Kiir on Wednesday signed the IGAD compromise agreement as it is without any change in it, but submitted to IGAD leaders a 12-page complaint document known as “reservations” on the peace deal.
The IGAD leaders however refused to incorporate the reservations into the document signed by Kiir, with observers saying legally speaking the reservations are a mere complaint with no effect as the agreement is concerned and IGAD may simply lock it in a drawer and forget about it.
RESERVATIONS MEANINGLESS
The United States government has also issued a statement, saying the reservations filed by the South Sudanese president Kiir had no meaning after he signed the peace agreement document which did not incorporate the complaints.
Both the White House and the State Department in Washington, welcomed the peace agreement and urged the South Sudanese parties to fully implement the deal without any reservation, warning that any party to the deal that will be seen to be obstructing its implementation will face punishment.
White House press secretary said President Barack Obama’s administration welcomed the signing of the deal by president Kiir, but said his reservations will not be recognized.
“President Kiir made the right decision to sign the peace agreement…The US does not recognize any reservations or addendums to that document,” said spokesman, Josh Earnest.
In a separate statement, the US State Department on Wednesday also said the United States government “stands ready to support the implementation of the agreement, to work with the men and women of South Sudan who are committed to peace, and to hold to account those who would undermine the agreement or violate the ceasefire.”
The State Department said president Kiir, or any other party had no other option but to abide by the agreement he signed and fully implement it, saying the US will closely monitor the implementation of the agreement and explore ways to punish those who will resist its implementation.
“He [Kiir] signed it. He signed it and he’s committed himself to it, and our expectation is he’s going to meet his commitments. Obviously, he made a personal decision to overcome his reservations and sign this agreement. Our expectation is he’s going to meet his end of it. And if he doesn’t, or if any party doesn’t for that matter – this isn’t just about President Kiir, although he’s the one who’s voiced the reservations – then there are options available through the UN that we will explore,” said John Kirby, US State Department in a press briefing on Wednesday in Washington DC.
“Look, he can be unhappy about it as long as he abides by it. What matters is the actions, not the words. And we want to see, as I said in my opening statement, we want to see everybody effect the ceasefire and hold to what they agreed,” he said.
(ST)