The mediation of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have proposed to make South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar once again vice president while the incumbent vice president will remain as a "second vice president," according to a statement by SPLM-IO.

SPLM-IO chief negotiator Taban Deng wrote yesterday that the mediators also proposed that the Speaker of the National Assembly must hail from the Equatoria region. Vice President James Wani Igga is also an Equatorian. He has previously said that he will not give up his position in order for Machar to return to the chair, which the latter held from 2005 until mid-2013.

In proposing this structure, however, IGAD reportedly clarified that the line of succession would not be from the president directly to the first vice president but rather that Kiir could only be succeeded by someone from his faction, and not someone from Riek's party.

Mediators have not yet publically acknowledged making this proposal during the high-level talks in Addis Ababa yesterday, but two other officials of SPLM-IO also confirmed receiving this proposal from the mediation.

Michael Makuei, spokesman of the government delegation, denied receiving such a proposal. But he confirmed that the mediation had set a deadline for the parties to make a deal. Taban Deng said that the mediators have demanded that the two parties reach an agreement "along the dictated IGAD principles" by Saturday or else face consequences from the East African bloc.

Hailemariam Desalegn, the Ethiopian Prime Minister and head of IGAD, is said to be trying to impose this structure as a take-it-or-leave it proposal; Taban Deng stated, "In declaring this imposed agreement the Chairman of IGAD cautioned that they had a consensus [within IGAD] and would not receive any comments."

According to early indications from the SPLM-IO side, the rebel group is likely to reject the proposal even though it restores Riek Machar to the position he held until 2013. Taban Deng's statement reads, "The imposed agreement by the IGAD Heads of State and Government will not bring peace to South Sudan."

Meanwhile, Radio Tamazuj is informed that the Vice President James Wani and three Equatorian governors together with other Equatorian officials convened an urgent meeting at Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba beginning around noon in order to discuss the proposal.

At time of publication they were still inside the room discussing and no further information was yet available on their position on the matter. 

Photo: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni leaving talks yesterday (Uganda Statehouse)

Update, 15:00 30 January 2015: Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek has confirmed receiving the same proposal from IGAD, contradicting Government Delegation Spokesman Michael Makuei.