South Sudan’s opposition delegation announced on Tuesday that the release of the political detainees held by President Salva Kiir continues to be the ‘main issue’ at negotiations in Addis Ababa.
A second day of direct talks continued in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday, facilitated by the East African regional body IGAD. Seyoum Mesfin, head mediator, delayed his return from Juba where he was continuing consultations with Kiir.
During a break in the talks at 1:00 p.m. the assistant spokesman for the opposition delegation Mabior Garang said that the negotiations are still stuck over the release of the 11 politicians detained since the outset of the crisis in mid December.
“Release of the detainees is the main issue. And the government is not wanting to release the political detainees. According to the IGAD communiqué of the 27th of December, it mentions the political detainees as having an important role in reaching a political settlement. But there is no clear modalities of how the detainees will be released,” said Garang.
He continued, “So this has become a sticking point in the negotiations, and I really doubt the sincerity of the government because I think they are using the issue of the detainees in order to stall the negotiations in order to achieve a military victory, which they will never achieve and it will be very costly for our people if they pursue this option.”
Michael Makuei, spokesman for the government side, said that the two issues – cessation of hostilities and release of the detainees – had been separated. He declined to comment on the latter issue, except to say that “the minister of justice is following up closely the investigation process in Juba.”
“We are talking about the cessation of hostilities. Once we finish it we will move to the other topic on the agenda, which is the issue of the detainees,” said Makuei.
According to various sources at the Addis Ababa talks, parties have finalized a ceasefire agreement in draft form, but have not yet committed to sign it. Seyoum Mesfin, the lead mediator and a former foreign minister of Ethiopia, was expected back in Ethiopia on Tuesday night.
Makuei expressed optimism that a ceasefire could be agreed by tomorrow, after which the issue of detainees could be addressed: “We are progressing well and probably by tomorrow we may agree on the cessation of hostilities.”
But members of the opposition delegation made no statements to similar effect. One member of their party announced today, however, that they have no intention of attacking the oil fields north of Malakal because damages sustained to the equipment there could be falsely blamed on them.
Photo: Mabior Garang speaking to the press at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, 8 January 2014 (Radio Tamazuj)