U.S says Machar not excluded from S. Sudan’s peace process
November 25, 2017 (JUBA) – The United States embassy in South Sudan has described as “false” reports that the Troika had allegedly agreed to exclude the South Sudanese armed opposition leader, Riek Machar from the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) initiated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Last week, a senior armed opposition official claimed members of the Troika (the United Kingdom, US and Norway) decided to exclude the South Sudanese rebel leader from the preliminary meetings of the HLRF.
Manawa Peter Gatkuoth was quoted saying the Troika “officially” informed them that Machar would not be invited to the preliminary meetings for the peace process, which is aimed at revitalizing the 2015 peace agreement between the rebels and government.
He said Machar would not attend the first meetings of the upcoming high-level forum aimed at revitalizing the August 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan, adding that the rebel leader would be represented at the meeting by members of the opposition group.
But the U.S embassy, in a 24 November statement, stressed that those that have a stake in South Sudan’s future must be represented at the HLRF and commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“We continue to make this point to all parties, including the government and Riek Machar, as part of our full support for IGAD’s revitalization efforts,” partly reads the embassy’s statement.
South Sudan’s cabinet Affairs Minister, Martin Elia Lomuro also told reporters in Juba on Monday that President Salva Kiir held a meeting with members of the Troika and discussed the revitalization process. The minister said the meeting discussed the participation of the South Sudan armed opposition leader through a representative.
In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.
The South Sudanese government, however, warned that the revitalization forum by IGAD, the regional bloc which mediated the 2015 peace accord, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace deal between the two factions to the conflict.
Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan’s worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.
(ST)