Mediators are urging the South Sudanese rebel group led by Riek Machar (SPLM-IO) to abide by the ceasefire that it re-committed to six days ago in Addis Ababa. The mediators stress that SPLM-IO already committed to a ceasefire and agreed to implement it in accordance with an agreed ‘implementation matrix’.
Riek Machar’s chief negotiator Taban Deng Gai signed on 25 August in Addis Ababa a document on “Re-Dedication of and Implementation Modalities for the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.”
Days after signing this ‘re-dedication’ agreement, the rebel chief negotiator claimed not to have signed the Implementation Matrix, amid reports of troop movements in a number of contested areas of South Sudan.
Yesterday the IGAD mediation team issued a press release clarifying that the Implementation Matrix is an ‘integral part’ of the document signed by SPLM-IO, contradicting the claims of Taban Deng Gai.
According to the text of the signed document itself, the parties “agree to implement the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in accordance with the ‘Implementation Modalities for the Cessation of Hostilities Matrix.’”
Speaking to press in Addis Ababa yesterday, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, the chairman of the IGAD Special Envoys for South Sudan stated, “I think now what is very critical is the warring parties have signed the Matrix.”
“Now the Matrix is signed none of these warring parties have any excuse to once again initiate violence.”
The ambassador stressed the importance of halting violence in order to address the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, which he called an impending “war-induced famine.” He stated that violence that obstructs humanitarian operations is “unacceptable.”
“In the midst of this crisis, if the parties have the luxury to initiate war, aggravate the situation, definitely the region, the African Union and the international community will not tolerate that. This is what they should know.”
IGAD has invited the two warring parties to send military officers to represent them in Addis Ababa on the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, which will oversee implementation of the ceasefire.
At the same time, the political talks have been adjourned for several weeks after the SPLM-IO refused to accept certain paragraphs within the Protocol on Principles on Transitional Arrangements.
Mesfin stated, “The political negotiation is going to continue… The political differences can be negotiated. They will be negotiated. So not accepting this or that paragraph should not lead into violence.”
“We call on the warring parties, particularly we call on the SPLM/SPLA in Opposition because they have not signed on the Protocol,” said the mediator. “That shall not be used as a pretext to initiate violence and to violate the Cessation of Hostilities agreements in full.”
“We want them to fully honor that,” he stressed.
“The landscape of this conflict has changed. It is not going to be decided by war on the ground. They also recognize that war cannot be a solution to it. The solution is political dialogue.”
“It is incumbent on them to end killings and violence.”
He stressed that the differences between the parties on the clauses of the Protocol on the president and prime minister positions should be resolved through negotiation and not violence.
Mesfin further expressed optimism that the positions of the two parties can be bridged and that an agreement can be reached through negotiation. He said that much progress has been made.
‘One document’
In remarks to press on Saturday, the mediator sought to clarify the specifics of which document were signed and which were not, which is apparently a matter of confusion after the statements by the SPLM-IO chief negotiator.
Several documents have been discussed, the key one in question being number (2) below, considered by the mediators as ‘one document’ together with documents (3) and (4) below:
- The original Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, signed by both parties on 23 January 2014
- The Re-Dedication document, signed by both parties on 25 August 2014
- The ‘Implementation Matrix,’ annexed to the Re-Dedication document
- Addendum to the Implementation Matrix, also annexed to the Re-Dedication document
- Protocol on Principles on Transitional Arrangements, signed by Salva Kiir but not by Riek Machar
The mediator acknowledged that the fifth document was not signed but stressed that the rebel group led by former vice president Riek Machar did in fact commit to documents 1,2, 3 and 4.
“There are not two, three documents with regard to the Matrix. It’s one document. That’s what they have signed. So if they have come to declare that they have not signed – after four days, on the 25th they signed, and on the 28th they said they have not signed. It’s not going to help them. And it’s not going to help anybody.”
“It’s just only a gimmick… and I advise them not to go into that.”
“We wish to see the SPLM/A play a constructive role in ending these killings. We know perfectly they have grievances on the Protocol – paragraphs 2, 3, 6 – these are their dissenting voice on. We are saying there is a way of crossing this bridge. They must commit to the political dialogue.”
“Gaining ground, capturing this or that city or town, expanding area of control, is not going to change an iota in resolving the crisis in South Sudan. It is only political dialogue.”
SPLM-IO leaders urged to ‘discipline’ troops and allied militias
The IGAD Special Envoy referred to the possibility of continuing violence in contested areas of South Sudan. He urged the rebel leaders to keep their troops in line.
“There is much talk that the SPLM/A-in-Opposition’s troops have no one command center and the SPLM/A-in-Opposition leader has no command on all the troops, militias and so on and so forth,” said Mesfin.
“Again, it is our view that this cannot be again used as a pretext…. What we know is that the SPLM/SPLA-in-Opposition’s command reaches all these factions, whether they are in the militias or the troops in different areas, they communicate, they have their own command, they respect that.”
“And we call on the commander-in-chief and the leaders of this movement, or this opposition, to discipline and to abide by the agreements they have signed. The Matrix is a deal made between the warring parties, and they are the primary parties to implement it.”
He said therefore they would not accept as an excuse that there are “militias or troops who are renegades not obeying the orders of their respective command.”
“They have a respect to their command,” he said.
Photo: SPLM-IO and South Sudanese government chief negotiators committing to the Implemntation Matrix for the Cessation of Hositlities Agreement, 25 August 2014 (above); IGAD Special Envoy Seyoum Mesfin (below, right), speaking to press in Addis Ababa, 30 August 2014