President Salva Kiir in a Christmas Eve message decried ‘a spirit of tribalism’ spreading across the country and called on his soldiers not to commit atrocities. But he did not order the troops to honor a Christmas Day ceasefire that had been proposed by African Union and American envoys.
The president described a ‘trend’ toward more ethnic violence since the beginning of the Juba events on 15 December: ‘Innocent people have been wantonly killed… There are now people who are targeting others because of their tribal affiliation, by means of taking the law into their own hands.”
“This general line of orientation is unacceptable. It will only lead to one thing, and that is to turn this nation into chaos. All the unruly and undisciplined soldiers, who are behind such terrible acts, and who are randomly bent to killing innocent people are criminals and will not escape the long arm of justice, and will have to be punished,” he stated.
In the same message Tuesday the president also claimed that he had ordered the police to arrest anyone conducting illegal house-to-house searches, or killing individuals or groups of people. “These atrocities recurring by now have to cease immediately,” he added.
No pre-conditions for talks with Riek
In another message before an extraordinary sitting of parliament on Monday, Kiir disclosed that he had rejected the pre-conditions set by Machar for commencing negotiations. “I will not accept any pre-condition for the talks and I told the IGAD this,” he said, referring to the East African mediation.
His position comes in response to the demands by former vice president Riek Machar for the president to release political detainees before beginning negotiations. Among those detained are the ruling party’s ousted secretary-general Pag’an Amum and several former ministers.
Kiir in his speech also revealed that President of the Republic of Kenya sent his envoy Lazarus Sumbeiywo, the former head of the Kenyan army, with a letter asking to take the lead of the mediation between the South Sudan government and Machar.
“I spoke to Uhuru by phone and I told him that his offer was welcomed. I also asked him to coordinate with the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni so that they do not do double negotiation,” he said.
The president made these remarks at the extraordinary legislative assembly meeting held in Juba on Monday. The president thanked the lawmakers for standing with him during the ongoing crisis.
But he also accused some MPs whom he did not name of being part of the conspiracy. “Some of them are here sitting, they are guilty conscious of their participation in the attempted coup,” he said
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, MP David Muta said that he urged the two leaders Kiir and Machar to get to the negotiating table in order to put the bloodshed to end: “It is not yet too late for our leaders to give up personal gain for a peaceful solution – it can be found if they get started.”
He expressed also displeasure that the only ‘negotiations’ thus far between the two rivals seemed to have been in press statements and media interviews, without any actual direct dialogue. “They are delaying to start and yet all the people of South Sudan are waiting to see them starting,” he said.