Initialling of South Sudan peace document delayed to Tuesday
August 27, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The initialling of the final document of revitalized South Sudan peace agreement has been adjourned to Tuesday as some parties failed to hand over their observation or simply rejected it.
In line with the agenda of the talks, the parties to the negotiations had to initial the final document after concluding the three-day discussions on bracketed issues before to discuss the implementation matrix.
The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) rejects the referendum as a default solution to settle the disagreement over the number of states, while the SPLM-IO expressed strong reservation to the constitution-making process proposed by the mediation.
Sudanese Foreign Minister and Chief Mediator El- Dirdeiry Ahmed and South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei on Monday evening told reporters about the adjournment of the signing saying some failed to give their observations and other others reject the text.
Minister El Dirdeiri announced that the signing was delayed to Tuesday morning.
For his part, Makuei explained that the parties finished the text on Monday morning and were given the semi-final draft at about 05:00 pm, adding they handed it back to the mediation at 07:00 pm
He regretted that the rejection of the document by those who were party to the formulation and discussion of this same text.
Further, he went to claim that some of “these groups which are obstructing today” rejected the document because “there are some hidden hands some hidden groups behind all those”.
He called on the opposition groups to join them and co-sign the document on Tuesday morning at 8:30 am.
“So that we take peace to our people in South Sudan, he stressed.
El-Dirdeiry stressed that the signing will take place on Tuesday pointing out that some are still preparing their observations.
“The document is accepted by all the parties and I do not think that there is a reason for any party to not sign it,” he said.
(ST)
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