Machar refutes alleged appeal with President Kiir to scrap justice mechanism
June 8, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese first vice president, Riek Machar, who also leads the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has dismissed the allegation that he and President Salva Kiir had launched a joint appeal to scrap justice and accountability mechanism from the August 2015 peace agreement.
The two leaders, in the document, allegedly instead asked for support in supporting truth and reconciliation mechanisms, citing pursuit of justice and accountability as problematic.
“In contrast to reconciliation, disciplinary justice — even if delivered under international law — would destabilize efforts to unite our nation by keeping alive anger and hatred among the people of South Sudan,” partly reads the alleged joint appeal published by US-based The New York Times on Tuesday, bearing names of President Kiir and First Vice President, Machar.
The two top rival leaders in the country allegedly called on the international community to consider the current state of South Sudan, arguing that years of war have left South Sudan with one of the highest levels of military spending by gross domestic product in the world.
“That is why we call on the international community, and the United States and Britain in particular, to reconsider one element of the peace agreement to which they are cosignatories: support for a planned international tribunal, the Hybrid Court for South Sudan. We call on them instead to commit to global backing for a mediated peace, truth and reconciliation process,” they said.
The army and its former opponents, the document argued, now need to be integrated and this would involve tens of thousands of soldiers who must be decommissioned and introduced into civilian life.
“We fear that this task could be put in jeopardy if members of once opposing forces — from officers to privates — find themselves targeted with legal action. It is easy to see how some people, having known nothing but war, may prefer to return to the battlefield than stand trial in a foreign country.”
However, in response to the allegation, Machar’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, said the SPLM-IO’s leader had never authored the alleged document, saying the opposition’s leadership is committed to justice and accountability.
“The alleged joint appeal to drop the justice and accountability mechanism in the August 2015 peace agreement is untrue. His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon has never authored that article,” Dak told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
Dak said Machar and the SPLM-IO leadership is committed to both justice and accountability on one hand and reconciliation and reconciliation on the other.
“SPLM/SPLA (IO) leadership is committed to justice and accountability as it is also committed to truth, reconciliation and healing. These two mechanisms are stipulated in the peace agreement,” he said.
Dak said it is up to The New York Times to reveal its source of the false document, saying the SPLM-IO leader, Machar, is not aware of the document.
When asked whether President Kiir was aware of the document, Dak replied that he could not speak for the president’s office.
“Well, I don’t speak on behalf of the President’s office. I don’t know if they knew about the alleged appeal to drop justice and accountability mechanism or what they thought about it,” he added.
“As for the First Vice President, he has nothing to do with the alleged document. I did consult with him and he was surprised to learn about the document being circulated in the media. The document is falsified,” Dak added.
He said the document could have been written by those who attempted to dodge justice and accountability for gross crimes they committed during the 21 months of the civil war.
(ST)