South Sudan's Foreign Affairs Minister has welcomed the unreleased report by the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan into atrocities committed during the ongoing civil war.

The report, completed last year by a commission led by former Nigeria president Olusegun Obasanjo, is meant to document human rights violations committed during South Sudan's civil war and recommend a way forward for justice, healing, and reconciliation.

The AU Peace and Security Council has refused to release the report, though recently shared its contents with South Sudan government officials.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj Monday, Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the report will definitely push for peace in South Sudan. He said the report confirmed that no genocide took place in South Sudan because the fighting was between one people.

The South Sudanese diplomat further said the AU report will help bring a compromise solution to South Sudan's civil war.

Marial also welcomed a proposal by the IGAD-Plus mediators that provides for the establishment of a Hybrid Court for South Sudan to investigate and prosecute those believed to have planned, ordered, instigated, or participated in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other serious crimes during the civil war.

IGAD-Plus has proposed such a court to ensure that there is no amnesty for individuals responsbile for breaking international or national laws during the war.

Meanwhile, the armed opposition SPLM-IO said the Peace and Security Council exluded them from an "important meeting" on the atrocities report which included the government.

The SPLM-IO head of external relations Dhieu Mathok told Radio Tamazuj they should have been invited to that meeting, saying they requested the African Union Peace and Security Council to participate like the Juba-based government.

According to an SPLA-IO statement, the Council decided to form a seven member panel consisting of Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda to study the report and make recommendations on it at an AU Summit in early August.

The rebel official criticized Marial’s statement that there was no genocide in South Sudan and that the Council's meeting didn’t meet international norms.

A leaked draft of the AU report seen by Radio Tamazuj described Juba as ethnically cleansed of Nuer civilians during the outbreak of war in December 2013.

Peace efforts

Separately, foreign minister Marial commended ongoing efforts by US President Barack Obama to push for peace in South Sudan. The minister said his government welcomes any political process that can bring an end to the war.

Mathok also commended Obama's efforts, noting that his group will study the IGAD-Plus compromise peace proposal before resuming peace talks on 6 August.

Obama met yesterday with the Chairman of the East African regional bloc IGAD, Ethiopian Premier Hailemariam Desalegn, and other African leaders to push for the IGAD peace process for South Sudan.

Photo: Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin, 14 June 2014