Musicians to create awareness on S. Sudan peace deal
September 6, 2015 (BOR) – The ministry of youth and culture in South Sudan’s Jonglei state has organised a public awareness campaign on the newly-signed peace agreement, starting from 7 September.
A number of musical concerts have been lined up for all citizens, including the internally displaced persons at United Nations bases, the head of Jonglei Arts and Music Association, Mach Samuel, said.
Last week, the state governor, John Kong urged citizens to welcome the peace deal signed between government and the armed opposition.
“Our team had been going to Addis Ababa for peace negotiation, Mr. [Michael] Makuei always talked about peace being in the corner, that corner has now been reached. It is not any longer in the corner; it is now with us here. Today, we have peace”, said Kong.
“Every problem at the house level, needs time to be solved, someone must sit in the middle to bring peace between two parties”, he added.
South Sudan president Salva Kiir on signed on 26 August the peace deal, despite a number of reservations to the long-awaited accord.
According to the governor, the Juba government was in the negotiation process “cheated” by the regional chief mediator, Seyoum Mesfin.
“When the IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] member states met in Uganda, they agreed to amend areas of major contentions, including demilitarisation of Juba, reduction of the period of two separate armies and on, the amendment was good,. When the amended document was presented to chief negotiator, he turned it down”, Kong told hundreds of citizens in Bor.
In any agreement, he said, the conflicting parties must first sign the document before witnesses or observers are allowed to do the same.
“But this was not the case with our peace deal. It was done in a way that was not right”, said the governor, who also accused the regional bloc of blocked all political parties allied to government.
BLAMES IGAD MEDIATORS
Kong further claimed the regional bloc and the international community wanted to remove the South Sudanese government and replace it with a government that “would dance to their tune”.
He also attacked South Sudan’s ruling party secretary general, Pagan Amum and the country’s former political detainees as people who are “power hungry [and] switching sides to grab opportunities”.
“You saw and heard on TV [television] what Pagan said, when he was reinstated as SPLM secretary after the Arusha Agreement. He said from today, there are no more former detainees or G-10. We are all SPLM”, Kong reminded the population during his address.
He added, “But when Pagan went to Addis Ababa as SPLM, he turned to be a former detainee and signed on their behalf and not as SPLM. They dishonored the Arusha Agreement”.
Several analysts, however, say the new peace deal will end months of conflict in the country, despite reservations from government.
(ST)