South Sudan peace agreement

The signing of the Compromise Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan by President Salva Kiir in Juba on August 26 after over a week of dilly dallying is most welcome as it marks a major step towards ending the hardship inflicted on the people of world’s youngest nation for nearly […]

The signing of the Compromise Peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan by President Salva Kiir in Juba on August 26 after over a week of dilly dallying is most welcome as it marks a major step towards ending the hardship inflicted on the people of world’s youngest nation for nearly two years.
Leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO) Riek Machar and Pagan Amum, representing the Former Political Detainees, had signed the pact on August 17, the deadline initially set by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and international mediators that led the peace process.
President Kiir, who was initially opposed the agreement, endorsed it after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) gave him a 15-day extension and threatened to heavily sanction any party impending the pact to end the civil war that has killed thousands and uprooted an estimated two million of the country’s 11 million people from their homes.
The signing of the deal represents a critical step in the efforts to end the conflict that erupted in December 2013 following a power tussle between Machar, an ethnic Nuer, who was then the vice president, and Kiir of the dominant Dinka group.
The power sharing agreement was the highpoint of months of on-off intensive negotiations and consultations hosted by Ethiopia and backed by international players; and several broken ceasefire deals.
The agreement called for a definitive ceasefire within 72 hours of signing and the formation of a transitional government within 90 days. It also bars “actions that may impede or delay the provision of humanitarian assistance, or protection to civilians, and restrict free movement of people.”
World leaders, the African Union (AU) and humanitarian organisations welcomed the deal, but warned that it must be fully implemented. Unfortunately, fighting continued in parts of the impoverished country, with government and rebel forces trading blames for the reported breach of the armistice.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had to call President Kiir on Sept 3 to express concern over the violations and the South Sudan leader had to confirm his commitment to the implementation of the agreement and the truce, a senior State Department official said.
Kiir, who has led South Sudan since independence in 2011, had after signing the deal, expressed doubts that the agreement would be implemented. Mediators said he was worried about a demand that Juba become a demilitarised zone and conditions that he consults the first vice president under the power sharing arrangement, who is most likely going to be Machar, on policy.
There are also misgivings over the establishment of a joint command council of senior military officers of rival forces to monitor and verify the mechanisms of ground, an over-sight which the government genuinely fears could derail the swift implementation of the latest South Sudan peace deal.
Besides, there are divergent views in ruling party, with those opposed to key provisions of the agreement, like the army chief of staff, Paul Malong, who need to be persuaded to jettison their mistrust and suspicions, and support Kiir’s decision to implement the accord.
Whatever the misgivings may be, it is important for the disputing parties to scrupulously abide by the terms of the agreement and conscientiously implement its provisions. They should seize this unique opportunity to open a new chapter in the country’s beleaguered history and live up to the expectations of their long-suffering people.
Regional leaders deserve commendation for their tireless efforts to end the tragedy that has befallen South Sudan since 2011. The presence at the Juba signing ceremony of IGAD chairperson Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh of Sudan, was testimony of the region’s commitment to peace and solidarity with the people of South Sudan.
The AU should in collaboration with IGAD and other international stakeholders, ensure that provisions of the agreement are adhered to the letter. There is need for continued and enhanced international engagement in furtherance of the full implementation of the peace agreement. South Sudanese have suffered long enough; let the bloodletting end once and for all!