The author of this opinion article, a South Sudanese youth living in Egypt, questions whether the new peace proposal by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is serious enough about accountability for perpetrators of atrocities in South Sudan.

Another highly anticipated event, the publication of the report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS), has passed. The African Union Peace and Security Council, in accordance with its meeting on Friday has once again postponed the publication of the Report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS).

In light of this, the people of South Sudan today bear not only the challenge of rebuilding a country already destroyed by the war of independence and by the current civil war but they also face alone the burden of how to bring to justice those who committed gross violations of International Humanitarian Law.

When the East African regional bloc IGAD began its mediation on the South Sudan conflict in January 2014, mixed reaction from the South Sudanese people from all the corners of the country engulfed the nation. Optimism for accountability upon the perpetrators of both the Juba Massacre and the later killings became high.

However, it is now questionable whether the regional entity is neutral and serious about accountability. In fact, the question of IGAD’s neutrality is what undermines negotiations today. This has derailed the negotiations.

The proposed compromise deal handed to the government of the Republic South Sudan (GRSS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) by the IGAD contains, in respect to accountability and justice for the victims of war crimes committed between December and January 2014, a number of disturbing resolutions and sections and that is why this deal is so bad.

Examples of those disturbing elements of that proposed compromise deal are found in Section 3.5 and section 3.6, besides other sections of the proposal. The perpetrators of crimes committed from the genesis of the conflict, while having their participation in the TGoNU secured, will still be moving on the streets of Juba and other important South Sudanese towns freely while justice for the victims of the war is yet to be served.

In addition, section 3.6.1 in its body language means that the report of the African Union commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) will not be released in details before the formation of the TGoNU where those responsible for serious violation of International Humanitarian Laws remain anonymous.

The alleged move by the African Union Commission of Inquiry to release and give their report to the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS) alone lacks transparency and is a sign of a bad luck for the South Sudanese victims of the current civil war because those responsible remain not established and what really happened in Juba plus other revenge killings was not given in the report, yet they keep narrating of the phrase, the “Sovereignty of the people of South Sudan,” which is a mere rhetoric.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) must know that serving the government with the report while denying access for the SPLM/A-in-Opposition to the report means that the regional body is in favor of one side of the conflict.

If the IGAD fails to name the criminals and investigate Museveni’s UPDF, they must know that the people of South Sudan have not forgotten who committed brutalities nor have they forgotten what really happened in Juba and other towns between December 2013 and January 2014.

The author is a member of the SPLM-IO Youth League in Egypt.

The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made are the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.

Photo: Tor Madira Machier, courtesy of the author