June 21st 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – A glimmer of hope emerges in Kakuma Refugee Camp as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) finally released Dr. Machar after a 2-year long detention in South Africa.
The arrival of Dr. Machar at the peace talks in the Ethiopian Capital of Addis Ababa coincided with the commemoration of World Refugee Day that is held annually on June 20th.
Speaking to the Media, Lok Chak Dong, a refugee who has been in the Camp for four years, remarks that the initiated face-to-face talks between president Kiir and his former Deputy, Dr. Riek Machar, will eventually lead to peace and reconciliation in the country.
“I strongly believe that the participation of the main opposition leader in these peace efforts being facilitated by the IGAD at the peace talks in Addis Ababa are important steps towards bringing peace and it will eventually take a turn for the better” he stressed.
An elderly who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed his optimism, and
described the planned one-on-one talks between the two leaders as a crucial initiative.
“War has never been won, we are tired of being refugees, and we all hope that president Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar will reach an agreement after these negotiations, this is what we have been waiting for” he said.
In a cold weather that dropped to 22 degrees in the Camp, the elderly and youths gathered in local cafeterias where they normally take casual brunches and tea to commemorate and celebrate the arrival of the main opposition leader while keeping a relatively low profile as directed by the SPLM-IO leadership.
South Sudan’s warring leaders met face-to-face for the first time in almost two years on Wednesday amid international pressure.
Dr. Machar had been held under detention in South Africa, after July fighting in the capital Juba in 2016.
President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming the participation of South Sudan’s opposition leader, Riek Machar, in the peace talks facilitated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Multiple peace talks brokered by the East Africa Bloc, have been breached, the inclusion of Dr. Machar raises little hope and optimism.
The United States says it has lost patience on South Sudan and calls upon the international community to impose an arms embargo on the world’s youngest nation.
On June 14/2018, a U.S. diplomat pressed Uganda and Kenya and warned them to stop the flow of corrupt South Sudanese investments into their countries.
Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said Ugandan and Kenyan leaders were responsible for allowing South Sudanese officials to buy up property with corrupt proceeds and threatened to take legal actions against them should they fail to comply.
So far the United States has documented over 460 companies and entities but none of them is held to account.
