S. Sudan rebel leader, religious officials hold talks in S. Africa
October 15, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese rebel leader, currently exiled in South Africa, met the religious leaders who were part of the national dialogue steering committee delegation that visited South Africa for a retreat last week.
Riek Machar, South Sudan’s former First Vice-President-turned rebel leader, had failed to honour a meeting with the delegation during their visit to South Africa.
The group, however, said although the rebel leader rejected meeting its leaders, his discussions with religious leaders was of interest to the national dialogue committee.
But the dialogue steering committee’s co-chair, Angelo Beda said his committee will not relent in its work even when Machar has shown lack of interest to participate in the process.
“We will not relent. We will continue to knock at his door because what we want is nothing but peace. We need the war to stop and for our people to return to their homes and live in peace and harmony normally,” Beda told reporters in the capital, Juba Sunday.
The official further said his committee will rely on what transpired at the meeting between rebel leader had with the country’s religious leaders in the dialogue process and in preparation of the document.
“I also want to underline, Riek Machar actually did meet with us through religious leaders who are part of the process. So his views will be transmitted to the committee by the religious. We hope what he has told the religious leaders would be the same thing he would have told the leadership of the national dialogue if the meeting with him did take place. We wanted either he comes to us or we go to him but that did not happen,” said Beda.
“So will use what he told the religious leaders”, he further stressed.
Members of South Sudan’s national dialogue steering committee that travelled to South Africa for a retreat earlier issued a statement regretting the failure to meet Riek Machar, the leader of the armed opposition faction, on the second attempt.
The team, in its 12 October statement, said it failed to meet Machar despite a request passed through South Africa’s Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Regrettably, this time again, we have received a word back from deputy president Ramaphosa’s office, that Dr Machar has again turned down our request to meet him. Despite this latest turn by our brother and son of South Sudan, Dr Riek Machar Teny, we wish by this statement, to reassure our downtrodden people, that the doors of the national dialogue remain open to Dr Machar and to any other South Sudanese political and military leader, who has a point of view that may enhance the process of the national dialogue leading to peace, security, reconciliation and national unity for all the people of our beloved young republic of South Sudan”, it read in part.
Several opposition figures allied to Machar said the latter turned down the request, citing lack of credibility of the process and non-impartiality of the group that intended to meet him.
The dialogue initiative, officially launched in May, is regarded a forum and process through which the people South Sudan shall gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, redefine citizenship and belonging, as well as restructure the state for national inclusion.
Since mid-December 2013, tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced from the East African nation.
(ST)