Many South Sudanese citizens living in the capital Juba said they reject any proposal making the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir a mediator in the ongoing South Sudan Civil War.
The Sudanese government recently said the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) asked al-Bashir to mediate between South Sudan’s rivals to end the escalating violence in the world’s youngest nation.
“The IGAD asked for mediation of the President. Al-Bashir will move in this respect after taking the oath on June 2,” Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Karti said on Sunday.
In interviews conducted by Radio Tamazuj Monday, several citizens of diverse backgrounds said they are worried about the Sudanese leader’s role in bringing both warring groups to reach a final peace deal.
Some of them accused the Sudanese president of playing a negative role regionally including the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
Other respondents accused al-Bashir of being biased for allegedly supporting the SPLA-IO rebels loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar.
Deng Garang, a journalist in Juba, said the mediation of President Omar al-Bashir will never come up with new developments toward peace in South Sudan.
“I don’t think that Al Bashir could play a positive role in the ongoing South Sudan conflict because he is supporting the rebels. So instead of bringing peace, he can drive the ongoing war to a different direction,” he said.
South Sudan has recently been witnessing escalating confrontations between the government troops and the SPLA-IO rebels led by former Vice President Riek Machar, prompting IGAD to warn South Sudan’s warring factions as peace talks face a gloomy future.
South Sudan became an independent state from Sudan on 9 July 2011, following a referendum to separate from Khartoum that passed with 98.83% of the vote.