POLITICAL OPPOSITION PARTIES OF SOUTH SUDAN: Press Statement on the Current Status of the Peace Talks
6 min readPOLITICAL PARTIES OF SOUTH SUDAN: Delegation of the Political Parties to the Addis Ababa Peace Talks
Press Statement on the Current Status of the Peace Talks
When the current 5th session Phase II of the peace talks in Addis Ababa was convened, it was on the full understanding that all parties have agreed on the multi-stakeholder roundtable peace talks as the format to bring about just and sustainable peace to the war afflicted South Sudan. Little did the South Sudanese know that the warring parties were up again at their delaying tactics while our people continue to die daily as a result of the war they have imposed on the South Sudanese for nothing other than fighting over power.
The SPLM/A-IO delegation came out openly that they were in Addis Ababa to negotiate with the Government delegation only. On its part, the Government delegation made it known that while it was for multi-stakeholder peace talks, it will not be party to any meeting of the stakeholders that does not include the SPLM/A-IO.
Following extensive consultations with all the stakeholders, the IGAD Special Envoys convened a meeting of the Leaders of the delegations on Tuesday the 5th instant. The Special envoys summarized the areas of agreement in those consultations as follows:
- There was consensus that the format of the talks was multi-stakeholder roundtable negotiations. And that within this format there will be various models of bilateral, trilateral or quadrilateral talks if requested by any of the parties concerned. Such talks will be facilitated by the mediators and their outcomes shall be reported to the plenary session of all stakeholders for decision.
- The Agenda of the talks will be as broadly contained in the draft “Framework for Political Negotiations Toward a Settlement of the Crisis in South Sudan” which was circulated in the last session and to which parties were requested to respond before the 1st of July 2014, together with the extract derived from that Framework sent to the parties together with the invitation to the talks.
All Leaders of the delegations gave their consent to the summary except the Leader of the SPLM/A-IO who requested that he be given time to consult with members of his delegation.
On the appointed time, a plenary meeting of the stakeholders was convened. The delegation of SPLM/A-IO was not in the room. Rather than report back on the outcome of his consultation on the agreed format and agenda of the talks, the Leader of the SPLM/A-IO with his delegation stayed outside the meeting hall and asked the Special Envoys, instead, to allow them to address the stakeholders in the absence of the Government delegation so as to explain to them why the SPLM/A-IO would want to exclude them from the talks. The Leader of the Government delegation readily supported the request of SPLM/A-IO and he and his delegation walked out of the hall without even waiting for the response of the other delegations to which the request was directed. The message was clear.
The position of the Government delegation became clearer yesterday (Wednesday) when the Leader of their delegation delivered a letter to the Special Envoys that they be given opportunity to engage with SPLM/A-IO delegation and that whatever they agree on need not be reported to the plenary of all the stakeholders as contained in the summary consensus on the format and agenda of the talks (page 1 above). In other words, the Government delegation has back-tracked from its position a day earlier and come out clearly against multi-stakeholders format. Indeed, this letter of the Government delegation was cited by SPLM/A-IO, in a press statement they released yesterday the 6th instant, as in support of their continued insistence on bilateral talks with the Government. In the same press statement, SPLM/A-IO confirmed that the Government delegation served them with a copy of the said letter.
Our position:
Our people have suffered a great deal and it is incumbent upon all of us to be serious and committed to stopping this senseless and destructive war and to bringing about a just and sustainable peace in our country. This can only be realized if the leaders of South Sudan rise above their narrow individual, group or party interests to put the interest of the people and the country first.
From the foregoing facts, it is abundantly clear that the two warring parties are out to stonewall the peace talks. These are the same parties that failed to respect the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement they signed in January. They are now flouting the 9th of May Agreement and the 10th of June Communique of the IGAD summit that committed their principals to multi-stakeholder roundtable peace talks as the only way out of the current crisis in South Sudan. While they go on stalling the talks, our people continue to die, to be displaced and to be exposed to famine.
By insisting on bilateral talks between them, the two warring parties are in effect dividing the people of South Sudan into first class and second class citizens in determining their future. The two parties are arrogating to themselves the right to decide on behalf of the people simply because they carry guns, and those who do not are to accept their whims. We totally reject this misguided notion. We believe that South Sudan belongs to all its citizens and all of them have a fundamental right to be part of any process that shapes the future of their country. The problems of South Sudan did not start on the 15th of December 2013, that was just a spark. The problems are deeply rooted in the way this land mass called South Sudan was misgoverned since 2005. Both parties to the current armed conflict and the resulting crisis were together in charge for eight years since then, and it is an abuse to the intelligence of our people for them to think that they alone can be trusted to sort out the mess they created.
The warring parties could not do what they can do best as they are the only two in the battle field. That is, to stop the war. They should do so today, not tomorrow if their bilateralism is to get any chance of hearing from our people and for them to believe that the two parties care about their suffering. For seven full months now, the talks have been talks about talks while South Sudan burns. We must all join hands to end this inferno.
It is only multi-stakeholder roundtable peace talks that can bring about a lasting peace to our country.
The Way Forward
To break the logjam the talks are now being put into by the two warring parties we suggest the following:
- Adherence to the multi-stakeholder roundtable format as the only way to conduct the talks;
- The talks be convened immediately with the stakeholders who are ready to take part.
We must all together demonstrate our resolve that South Sudan will not and cannot be held at ransom by anybody, group of people or party. Our people are yearning for peace and peace they deserve and must get.
We commend and thank IGAD Special Envoys for their perseverance against all odds to stay the course, the IGAD heads of state and government for their deep concern about our people and guidance of the peace process, and the international community for supporting the people of South Sudan as they suffer in the hands of their ‘leaders’.
As political parties, we shall spare no effort to see that the IGAD mediation is crowned with success.
Signed by members of the delegation:
| No | NAME + | SIGNATURE +
|
| Dr Lam Akol Ajawin | ||
| 2 | Hon. Martin Tako Moyi | |
| 3 | Hon. Bishop Gabriel Roric Jur | |
| 4 | Hon. Wilson Lodiong Sebit | |
| 5 | Mr Ismail Suliman Saeed | |
| 6 | Mr James Aniceto Batikayao | |
| 7 | Mr Albino John Lako Awan |
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