Armed opposition leader Riek Machar has arrived in Addis Ababa today, as the ongoing peace talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir reportedly have stalled over power-sharing arrangements and military issues in the IGAD-Plus peace proposal.
According to UN Radio Miraya, Kiir was still absent in the Ethiopian capital on Thursday afternoon.
SPLM-G10 representative and former minister of national security Oyai Deng Ajak told Radio Tamazuj that negotiators were still discussing the proposal until yesterday, Wednesday evening, without any progress in contentious issues.
He stressed that points of disagreement in the peace deal, proposed by the IGAD-Plus to end the conflict in South Sudan, would be referred to the two principles. He pointed to President Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar.
“We did not agree, there is not any progress. As I told you earlier we are still sticking to the same points of disagreement. We are expecting a summit between Kiir and Machar today,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SPLM-IO head of external relations committee Dhieu Mathok confirmed that they received an official letter from the chairman of East African regional bloc IGAD about a meeting between Kiir and Machar today.
The rebel official explained that federalism and power-sharing ratios at the national and state levels, as well as the issue of the two armies during the transitional period, are the main points of disagreement in the talks.
Dhieu added that the Kiir-Machar meeting is scheduled to last until Friday 14 August and that a final peace deal will be signed on Monday 17 August.
“The negotiators have exhausted their time yesterday. So Dr. Riek and Kiir are supposed to continue negotiating on the points of disagreement. The issue of federalism is also the main agenda at the talks,” he said.
According to the proposed agreement, 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.
IGAD-Plus, which includes the regional mediating bloc IGAD and a consortium of western and African nations and China, has given President Kiir’s and the rebellion of Riek Machar until 17 August to strike a peace deal.
(File photo)