Machar to take charge of file for Sudan-South Sudan cooperation agreements
June 5, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, will take charge of the file for the implementation of the September 2012 cooperation agreements between South Sudan and Sudan, said the Presidency.
Officials in the Office of the First Vice President commended several consensuses reached in the recent presidency meetings, including the need to step up implementation of the cooperation agreements between the two neighbouring countries.
“The consensuses reached by the Presidency are commendable. It means the implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement is on the right track,” said James Gatdet Dak, First Vice President’s Press Secretary, when asked by Sudan Tribune how the SPLM-IO’s leadership felt about the understandings in the Presidency.
“This also includes ensuring that the September 2012 Cooperation Agreements with the neighbouring sisterly country, the Sudan, are implemented,” he added.
Dak also confirmed that Machar would assume responsibility of handling South Sudan government’s dossier in the implementation of the September 2012 cooperation agreements with Sudan.
The cooperation agreements include establishment of security patrols along the common borders –expelling rebels from the either country – and resumption of trade between the two countries, among others. Sudan is also the only route through which South Sudan’s oil gets to the international market.
The Presidency reaffirmed the need to further normalize the relations with Sudan in the stabilization of security and economy in the two countries.
The peace agreement signed last August, provides to disarm Sudanese rebel groups and prevent them from carrying out hostile activities to the neighbouring Sudan. The inclusion of this clause in the deal is a result of accusations by the SPLM-IO that some of these groups participated in the fight alongside forces loyal to President Kiir.
Machar, as former Vice President, previously headed a high-level executive political committee of the then Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) during the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) from 2005, which led to the breakaway of South Sudan and formation of independent state after a referendum on self-determination in 2011.
SUMMARY OF CONSENSUSES
The South Sudanese Presidency this week unexpectedly reached consensuses on a series of vital issues which were impeding the implementation of the August 2015 peace deal brokered by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The many issues resolved in their two days of meeting on Wednesday and Friday included the consensus to review the number of states South Sudan should have as well as their boundaries.
An inclusive 15-member committee, 10 from South Sudanese peace partners and 5 from Troika (USA, UK and Norway) and African countries (South Africa and Tanzania) was to be formed.
The 10 members from South Sudan will be divided into SPLM led by President Kiir having 4 representatives; SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Machar will have 3 representatives; Former Detainees (FDs) to have 1 member and other political parties alliances led by Martin Elia and Lam Akol, respectively, to take 1 member each.
They also agreed to stabilize the security situation in the country by establishing cantonment areas for the forces and verify that the security arrangements for the capital, Juba, including withdrawal of former government’s forces are confirmed.
The Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) will make a budget for cantonment of SPLA-IO forces across the country.
The state of emergency, which has been imposed on the country for the past two years of war, should also be lifted and prisoners of war on both sides released.
The Presidency also resolved to soon reconstitute and form a new transitional national legislative assembly with membership of all the agreed rival factions in the peace deal. They have not however resolved on mode of electing a speaker for the would-be new transitional parliament.
Additional 9 presidential advisers; 6 to be nominated by the SPLM-IO leadership and 3 to be nominated by the other political parties will be appointed. This will make 19 the total number of the presidential advisers in the national government, as president Kiir previously appointed 10 advisers from his faction.
Members of parliament who left because of the war will be reinstated. Also all the civil servants who were dismissed by the former government because they fled from towns will be reinstated to their previous positions before the December 2013 crisis.
First Vice President, Machar, according to the resolution by the Presidency, will provide the comprehensive list of these civil servants who will be reinstated from the opposition faction of the SPLM-IO.
The presidency also agreed that independent commissions and institutions to be reconstituted or created based on the power sharing ratio of the parties to the agreement. The selection committee of the parties to the agreement shall sit and allocate and select the independent commissions and institutions based on the power sharing ratios.
Also, a national reconciliation and healing initiative to be launched soon and the parties will appeal to the international community for the support.
The Presidency also reiterated its commitment to fully implement the cooperation agreements between South Sudan and Sudan, and put Machar’s office in charge of the dossier.
“The good spirit with which the Presidency has reached the consensuses is very encouraging. We hope that with the same spirit and commitment the consensuses will soon be implemented,” Dak added.
The progress or the steps made by the presidency have raised hope among the people of South Sudan that the implementation of the peace deal may go on smoothly.
However, sceptics still say agreeing on a matter in principle is one thing and implementing the agreed matter in letter and spirit is another, citing the international pressure and the need for the new transitional government to quickly get financial support from the international community as allegedly the only driving force for the recent speedy consensuses in the presidency.
While reviewing the number of states may take 30 days to determine the outcome, including reverting to 10 states in case of disagreement over new number, other consensuses can be implemented within few days.
(ST)