South Sudan rival leaders in difference over avoiding trials
June 8, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese rival leaders have issued two separate statements approving and disowning an opinion article purporting to have been written by President Salva Kiir and his First Deputy in government, Riek Machar, in which they allegedly called for global support for reconciliation at the expense of justice.
“The intention is that President and the First Vice President wanted to inform the international community that you know they have now come back to cooperation and they are listening to each other. You know they have actually built mutual trust between themselves and they are now for full implementation of the peace agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and they are appealing to the international community to help in building the nation and reconcile the people of South Sudan in as much as they can,” said Ateny on Wednesday.
But while Ateny confirmed the veracity of the article, Machar’s spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, dismissed as untrue that neither his boss nor the leadership of the armed opposition of SPLM-IO had knowledge or approval of the document.
“The article published by New York Times alleging that First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, had agreed with President, Salva Kiir, to avoid justice or trials for those responsible for the atrocities committed in the war is not true. Somebody must have written it without the knowledge and agreement of the SPLM-IO leadership. We dismiss this allegation as false,” Dak wrote on his Facebook page.
Reacting to the report, Peter Gatdet Yak, one of rebel commanders who defected from Machar’s SPLM-IO faction said he was not surprised the two leaders were only after their interest and careless about the victims of the war they caused.
“Have you not seen how selfish they have become? They caused the war to kill innocent people in fulfilment of their ambitions and interests and now they are saying accountability can be compromised because they have gotten what they want. Kiir has retained his position and Riek returned to his position. South Sudan does not belong to them and the children of the people they have killed do not belong to them. The people have now seen what they [Kiir and Riek] have become,” said General Yak when reached to comment on the report on Wednesday.
The two leaders, according to the report by the New York Times, declared commitment to ensuring that the country never again goes through a civil war. They said they have come together after a peace agreement signed in August 2015 as brothers once more in government and determined to reconcile communities and create unity.
“We intend to create a national truth and reconciliation commission modelled on those of South Africa and Northern Ireland. This commission would have wide-ranging powers to investigate and interview the people of South Sudan — from the poorest farmer to the most powerful politician — to compile a true account of events during the war. Those who tell the truth about what they saw or did would be granted amnesty from prosecution — even if they did not express remorse,” the article published on Tuesday carrying the names of president Kiir and Machar reads in part.
In Northern Ireland, according to the piece, a peace process brought bitter enemies to the negotiating table under a pledge of legal amnesty, and then into high office.
“Now, the country has guaranteed peace. “The same is possible in South Sudan,” it argued.
The leaders allegedly further argued that they did not wish to forget what happened during the civil conflict but that it should serve as opportunity and a lesson to avoid a repeat of similar incident in future.
“The recollection of the catastrophe unleashed during those terrible months must remain in our memories as a warning. Neither side won our war. But both sides, together, must now win the peace. That is all that matters. In that quest, it is why anything that might divide our nation is against our people’s best interests,” the alleged opinion article further stressed.
However, opposition faction of the SPLM-IO said the document was falsified and were not aware of it.
(ST)