South Sudan's Minister of Information and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said a consultative meeting of his government and the SPLM secretariat chaired by President Salva Kiir on Wednesday set up thee thematic committees to deliberate on the new IGAD-Plus peace proposal.

IGAD-Plus mediators have given Kiir's government and the rebel group of Riek Machar until 17 August to reach a final peace deal.

In a press statement in Juba, Makuei said the three committees would present their report today, Friday evening. Three committees on governance, economic and security were reportedly set up during the Wednesday’s meeting.

Previously, Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told Radio Tamazuj that the government had reservations on some points in the IGAD proposed peace deal to end the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

Meanwhile, members of civil society organizations in Western Bahr al Ghazal State proposed amendments to some provisions in the IGAD-Plus peace proposal in their meeting on Wednesday.

Stephen Robo, representative of the civil society organizations in the state told Radio Tamazuj that they proposed that the power-sharing formula be amended to include power-sharing by political parties in Bahr al Ghazal and Equatoria regions like in the Upper Nile region.

They also demanded that the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly be appointed based on merit during a transitional government and that the president should be the commander in chief of the army.

For its part, the Unity State government intends to petition the national government in protest against the new IGAD-Plus peace proposal.

Unity State Minister of Information Peter Makuoth told Radio Tamazuj that the state council of ministers held a meeting and considered to present a petition to the national government over the IGAD-Plus proposal.

The government spokesman pointed out that they object to the power-sharing ratio, security arrangements and economic reforms in the state, saying the power-sharing was supposed to be at the national level only.

Makuoth confirmed that they will set up a committee to study and fine-tune the peace proposal after which they will petition the national government.

According to the proposed agreement, which IGAD has called a "compromise," the warring parties will share power in a transitional government of national unity, with the current ruling party maintaining a majority stake in the national government. In three state governments, the rebel group SPLM-IO will take a greater share of power.