July 24, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Latest report from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, confirms that the AU foreign ministers are holding a discussion to release the long awaited report on atrocities committed by the warring parties in the Republic of South Sudan.
Reliable sources confirmed to Nyamilepedia Press that South Sudan’s foreign minister, Dr. Benjamin Marial, is attending the meeting on behave of the government of Salva Kiir.
Despite that the Chairman of SPLM in Opposition, Dr. Riek Machar, met with the Chairperson of AU Commission, Dr. Dlamini Zuma, earlier this month, the Opposition has not been invited to the discussion, a decision that has sparked protests from the Opposition.
The Office of Dr. Machar strongly protests the failure of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to invite one warring faction, the IO, to attend the meeting.
According to James Gatdet Dak, the spokesperson of Dr. Machar, the chairman discussed the importance of the two factions representing themselves in the AU PSC discussions during his last meeting with Dr. Dlamini.
“Our Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, in a meeting with the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Dlamini Zuma, on July 15, 2015, in Addis Ababa, discussed the importance that the two parties to the conflict should attend the PSC meeting at the level of AU foreign ministers.” James Gatdet reports.
In the meeting today, while the Juba-Faction led by Salva Kiir was officially invited and served with a document on the discussion, the opposition was left uninformed.
The SPLM accuses the PSC of dishonesty and lack of transparency and urges the continental body to treat the two warring factions equally otherwise they should release the report to expedite the peace process.
“This is a serious act of dishonesty and lack of transparency on the part of the PSC. We therefore ask the PSC to equally serve the SPLM/SPLA with the copy of the report and to attend any further discussions on the matter.” James Gatdet says.
Despite that the two parties have been accused by the United Nations and the regional bloc, IGAD, of having committed atrocities, human rights violations and war crimes during the last 20 months of conflict, only the opposition (SPLM) demands the release of AU Commission of Inquiry report while the other warring faction opposes it.
A credible source from Machar’s office added that Juba, which opposes the release of the report, has committed over 99% of the atrocities and should not have been invited to the discussion.
“We are protesting the decision to involve juba regime that is believed to have committed 99.9 percent on the genocide, atrocities and human rights abuses, destruction of State installations, individual properties and many other crimes.” the reliable source reiterates.
A leaked of the long awaited report shows that government officials and generals have been implicated in the report that was filed nearly one year ago.
Many SPLM officers, including the Minister of defense and former Chief of staff of SPLA are pointing fingers to a presidential militia that was exclusively funded and trained under the auspice of president Salva Kiir and the then governor of Norther Bhar el Ghazal, Gen. Paul Malong Awan.
Malong was later appointed by Salva Kiir to lead the army, which has continued to commit many violations, mostly in the Nuer-dominated areas of Greater Upper Nile.
Latest report, released on July 23rd by the Human Right Watch, indicates that the government forces and allied militias have committed war crimes that include mass scale castrations of boys, sexual assaults on young girls and women and brutal killing of civilians.
From the survivors’ testimonies, government forces and allied Bul Militia raped women, burn their faces, kill young boys for fear of revenge in the future and overran unarmed men and women with tanks.
The report indicates that the government forces committed grave human rights violations and war crimes in more than 38 villages in Unity State.
The long report calls on AU to release their previous reports and send more investigators to do more findings in Unity State.
The Human Right Watch report lists the South Sudan Chief of army, Paul Malong Awan and the commanding general of bul-militia, Gen. Mathew Puljang, for possible sanctions and indictments for war crimes.
While the AU delays release of its findings on South Sudan conflict the, USA, UN and partners call on the continental body to release their reports and set up a regional tribunal that will oversees South Sudan’s accountability process.
4 comments
Keep PROTESTING Hacking boys of the so-called SPLM-IO,but you will never ever be the Leading leaders of South Sudan.
AU is right and has made right decision of not inviting Warlord Riek, how can a Terrorist Master or Terrorists be invited for that diplomatic disscussion, do they know the value of human life and Nation? what thet know is killing and destructions, let them go to hell.
AU has made right decision of not allowing warlord to attend report of crime in the country because of it report are being done by the rebel, if Riek came to Juba again war will break out again in 2018 during election you wanted or not the base option is to be in exile because of his tendency of tribalism is not finish as he always use foolish majority from Lou Nuer who always accept his did, if he came again to Juba i will also rebel and against the government he is also participating that is the nature of the country we want in the new nation
this people like Gatdet Dak don’t know the meaning of the rebels, how can you protesting not to been invited to the foreign minister meeting.what country they want to represent ?