The SPLM ‘group of seven’ leaders, the third bloc at the South Sudanese peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, say the government delegation has blocked progress on the talks and violated directives of the IGAD Heads of State summit.
Below follows the full text of a press release from the group dated 1 April 2014:
1. The IGAD mediated Peace Talks on the crisis in South Sudan resumed on 20th March 2014, after two weeks of adjournment. As in the previous sessions, the invited delegations were: the Government of South Sudan, the SPLM/A in Opposition, the SPLM Political Leaders (Former Detainees) and other stakeholders as per the IGAD heads of State and Government Communiques of 27th December 2014 in Nairobi, 31st January 2014 in Addis Ababa, 14th March in Addis Ababa, as well as the Agreement on the Status of Detainees signed between the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the SPLM/A in Opposition on 23rd January 2014.
2. The Agenda that was presented by the mediators to the Parties included the following:
a) Declaration of Principles (DOPs),
b) Framework for Political Dialogue toward national Reconciliation and Healing, and
c) Phase II: Political Dialogue towards National Reconciliation and Healing.
3. The above documents were meant to be the agenda for the all-inclusive political dialogue among the Parties for the Second Phase of the negotiations. No discernable progress was made despite finalization of the draft agreement on Declaration of Principles (DOPs). Although the SPLM Leaders made substantive contribution to the DOPs document, the Government Delegation vigorously objected to their inclusion as signatory to the document and led to the non-signing of the DOPs. This attitude of the Government Delegation was indeed obstructive to the process and a blatant violation of the IGAD Communiques cited above, to which the Government of South Sudan was a party.’
4. The objection by the Government of South Sudan to the participation of the SPLM Leaders (Former Detainees) was referred to an Extra-ordinary Summit of the IGAD Heads of State and Government held on 13 March 2014 in Addis Ababa by the IGAD Envoys, after failing to convince the Government Delegation.
a. The final Communique of the Summit reaffirmed the unshakeable position of the IGAD Heads of State and government with respect to the importance of the inclusiveness of the process. Articles 10 and 11 of their Communique made particular reference and emphasis to the need for participation of the Former Detainees as follows:
Para 10: Reaffirms the need for an inclusive political dialogue and further calls on the parties to include in the negotiations all South Sudanese stakeholders particularly SPLM Leaders (Former Detainees), other political parties and representatives of CSOs as deemed necessary by the Mediation Process;
Para 11: Stresses the need to recognize the Former Detainees as positive contributors to the peace process.
6. In this second session of Phase Two Political Talks the Government delegation to our surprise and dismay again challenged the decision of the IGAD Heads of State and Government and objected to our participation and that of other stakeholders contrary to the above cited paragraphs in (5) above.
7. The Government Delegation insistence on the non-inclusiveness of the process and their crafting of new DOPs and merging the agendas prepared for the political talks into one new single agenda has made the process not to move forward. As a result of this unfortunate position of the Government Delegation, the future of the talks is now uncertain.
8. This negative and obstructive attitude of the Government Delegation for the second time is unfortunate, taking into account the immense suffering currently facing the people on the ground due to the escalating hostilities between the Government and the SPLM/A in Opposition. Given the current food shortage in many parts of the country and with the advent of the rains, the situation of those displaced camps in Juba, Bor, Akobo, Malakal, Bentiu and Lakes State will worsen and requires immediate and urgent response. We urge the region and the international community to maximize their humanitarian intervention and exert maximum pressure on the Government to allow immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access.
9. It is our firm belief that any peace process and any peace agreement that is not inclusive of all stakeholders cannot bring about sustainable peace and reconciliation in the country. It would be most unfortunate if participation in the search for peace and reconciliation in the country were to be conditioned on engagement in armed conflict.
10. We would like to repeat our earlier demand for the immediate and unconditional release of the four political detainees still being held by the Government in Juba. It is now evident and clear based on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses in court that no military coup was attempted or indeed took place in Juba s claimed by the Government. All the evidence so far presented in court in the trial of the four political detainees is frivolous and vexatious and has no credibility. Therefore we call upon the Government to set the four free.
11. Finally, we reiterate our appreciation to the African Union (AU), IGAD Heads of State and Government, IGAD Mediators, the Envoys, Troika and EU, UN and the international community at large for their positive engagement in the peace process in South Sudan.
Signed,
John Luk Jok
Spokesman, SPLM Leaders (Former Detainees)
File photo: The seven SPLM leaders after their release from detention into the custody of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (VOA)