US Secretary of State meets South Sudanese leaders in Washington

October 8, 2015 (JUBA) – The United States (US) Secretary of State, John Kerry, has on Thursday met with South Sudanese rival leaders despite earlier cancellation of such a meeting on Wednesday by the national security adviser, Susan Rice.

On Tuesday, Rice, in protest of president Salva Kiir’s decree which unilaterally created 28 new states in violation of the peace agreement he signed with the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar, coupled with refusal by Machar to sign minutes on security arrangements at a workshop in Addis Ababa, cancelled a scheduled meeting in Washington with senior officials of president Barrack Obama’s administration.

However, sources from Washington told Sudan Tribune that a meeting finally had taken place on Thursday between the US secretary of state, Kerry and South Sudanese leaders including incumbent vice-president, James Wani Igga, the first vice-president designate, Machar, and Deng Alor Kuol, representing the former detainees.

Officials of the armed opposition faction, SPLM-IO, led by Machar confirmed the meeting with the US state department.

“Yes, finally a meeting has taken place between the US secretary of state and my chairman, plus vice president Wani and Deng Alor, with their respective accompanying officials,” Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, confirmed to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Dak said the meeting discussed implementation of the peace agreement the parties signed in August, particularly on demilitarization of the national capital, Juba, state capitals and other major towns, as well as the unilateral decree by president Kiir which created 28 new states in violation of the peace agreement.

He commended the interaction between the US senior officials and the rival factions in South Sudan.

The US Secretary of State, according to other official sources who participated in the meeting representing South Sudanese politicians of the three separate rival factions of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), also warned the parties that their actions may result to South Sudan losing friends around the globe.

Officials at the State Department who attended the meeting with John Kerry included Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Donald Booth, US president’s Special Envoy for South Sudan and Sudan.

Catherine Byrne, Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council was also present.

The Secretary of State, according to the source, protested unilateral creation of 28 states by president Kiir and reluctance of the armed opposition leader, Machar, to sign the minutes of the recent security arrangements.

“Security arrangements should not mean creating opposing armed camps in Juba as a recipe for the recurrence of violence and failure of peace,” he reportedly told the rival leaders.

The US government also condemned renewed fighting in the oil-rich Unity state and denial of access to humanitarian agencies taking relief assistance to the war-affected populations.

(ST)