Talks continued in Addis Ababa on Wednesday between the two parties to the South Sudan conflict, the government led by Salva Kiir and the dissident SPLM faction led by Riek Machar.
Another full day passed without any agreement on cessation of hostilities, but mediators from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Wednesday facilitated indirect talks by meeting separately with the different delegations.
Seyoun Mesfin, the head mediator, returned to the negotiations after concluding consultations with President Kiir on Tuesday in Juba. No announcement was made about the outcome of his meetings in the South Sudanese capital.
An IGAD source close to the negotiations said that the two sides today overcame a lot of points of contention on the cessation of hostilities agreement.
He added that he expects direct meetings will begin Thursday between the two parties where it is expected they will reach an agreement.
Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek, speaking in Juba, said “I want to tell you that it will not be very long until a cessation of hostilities agreement is signed.”
In the last two days representatives of the South Sudan government have toned down somewhat their language on the issue of political detainees, pointing out that the Minister of Justice has been tasked to work on the issue.
The president’s spokesman declined to say what reply Kiir had given to Mesfin on the issue of detainees, but he suggested it would not derail the ceasefire.
He said only two items are left to be discussed at the talks, adding, “those two items may be exhausted today, and if they are exhausted today, there will be no problem to see the two sides signing the cessation of hostilities.”
Photo: Members of the South Sudanese government delegation review a draft cessation of hostilities paper at negotiations at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, 13 January 2014 (GOSS/Larco Lomayat)