Dr. Riek Machar Ought to Accept Government and the G-10 New Peace Approach
4 min readBy Samuel Reech Mayen, Kampala, Uganda
June 4, 2015 (SSB) — Apparently, the President of the Republic of South Sudan and the Former Detainees have taken remarkable steps toward reaching peace in South Sudan. The plain reality that the President received and listened to the Former Detainees is a clear indication to the nation, the region and the rest of the world that the SPLM in Government is committed to bring an end to the devastating war.
The visit of Former Detainees to Juba should not be conceived as a political threat but rather a potential strength that should be exploited to speed up the unification process. No need to confuse peace initiative with political struggle. Reasonably, South Sudan is not fertile for political competition but the suffering of the people needs to be addressed urgently. This is a simple truth that should be understood literally.
This commended decision of G-10 is under pinned by the fact that the country is over bleeding from the senseless war. The citizens also have the duty to support the parties in this peace process. The Government has long been alone in advocating for peace when the Former Detainees were slowly recovering from the detention mood. It should be appreciated that G-10 has joined the government in this humanely peace approach.
In addition to this, the President’s decision to reinstate the previously expelled Deputy Chairman of the SPLM Dr. Riek and those who rebelled with him is paramount to peace realization in the country. To achieve peace so that an end is brought to death and suffering of the children in the camps, pride must be swallowed for the sake of these vulnerable groups.
The only awaited response is from the rebels’ leadership. The ball is therefore in Dr. Riek’s court whether to accept peace or reject it. Dr. Riek can accept peace if he doesn’t want the continuous suffering of the citizens. Contrarily, he can reject peace offer if he wants to lay down the unrealistic demands that are personal.
The Government and G-10 cannot bring peace without the commitment of rebels for the war is being fought by the SPLA and the rebels. The step taken by the Government and G-10 is in line with the previous proposal of reuniting the SPLM. The rebels’ leadership should unconditionally accept this crucial move in good faith. Enough bloods have been shed but only realized in burials, funerals, more orphans, widows, displacement and the intensifying degree of hatred. These should stop.
Dr. Riek is urged to response positively to the offer made by the Government. The Former Detainees and the Government are committed to bring peace to the suffering citizens. The Rebels and the SPLA have already seen their military muscles but that did not bring an end to the war.
On the other hand, the author urged pro-Government, pro-G-10 or pro-Rebels to provide fair and supportive opinions to the leaders to embrace peace for the sake of the citizens who are languishing in the IDPs and Refugees’ camps. Anti-peace opinions and all suspicions need to be ceased to create favorable atmosphere amongst the top leaders of the SPLM.
The author temporarily lives in Kampala and can be reached at: mayenreech@gmail.com
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