August 27, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD), which mediates the South Sudan civil war, has once again adjourned the peace talks to mid September.
The regional bloc decided to adjourn the peace talks this morning in Addis Ababa to “allow the stakeholders to engage in consultations”. The talks were expected to resume tomorrow after a series of adjournments.
The multi-stakeholders roundtable talks have been adjourned, almost every month, however, IGAD has managed to secured a few agreements on the sidelines. The agreements signed recommit the warring parties to end hostilities on the ground but none has been respected so far.
In May, the regional block managed to get the main protagonists, Dr. Riek Machar of SPLM/SPLA(in opposition) and president Salva Kiir of SPLM/SPLA -Juba to sign an agreement, which was expected to end all hostilities and negotiate in peace. However, the warring parties have continued to fight on.
The May agreement was a re-commitment to earlier CoH agreement, signed on the negotiating table on January 23rd. According to these agreements, all the foreign mercenaries that were dragged into internal conflict to save the South Sudanese government from being overthrown, were expected to leave the country. However, the main participants that include Uganda and Sudanese rebels remain at the front lines. The agreements were violated before the ink dries.
In June the leaders of the warring parties recommit to CoH agreement and agreed to negotiate and form a Transitional Government of National Unity(TGNU) within 60 days. However, the multi-stakeholders roundtable talks were indefinitely adjourned a few days later on June 23rd.
The June postponement came after the mediators failed to find a solution to the SPLM/SPLA-IO demands to refocus the mediation. The Opposition demanded that the direct talks be limited to SPLM-IO and SPLM-Juba, the main warring factions. This expects the Civil Society, Religious Group and Other Political Parties Groups to act only as consultants to expedite the talks.
The IGAD heads, however, reconsidered their decision and heed to Dr. Machar’s demands. The Government also agreed that the talks must be focused on the main warring parties alone, a call that the political parties objects.
When the talks were expected to resume on July 30th, the government delegation boycotted to the attend the peace talks. On July 29th, IGAD postponed the talks because the government delegations lacked funds to travel. The government delegation report stated that the ‘banks were closed’ for the Eid-al-Fitr and Martyrs’ Day holidays.
However, the talks resumed as Salva Kiir was traveling to Washington on 4th August, 2014. The talks hanged on for a few days until Salva Kiir returned.
The parties missed the August 10th dateline and IGAD further adjourned the peace talks to August 28th. Today, the long awaited talks that were expected to resume tomorrow have been further adjourned until 13th September. The regional leaders argued that this is necessary to allow room for more consultations.
“The multi-stakeholder talks will adjourn from 28 August 2014 to allow the stakeholders to engage in consultations. Talks will resume on 13 September 2014”. Read the reports.
The long report, seen by Nyamilepedia, appreciates the warring parties for recommitting to CoH matrix, signed on 25th August, 2014, and urges the International community, the TROIKA, EU, AU and other concern partners to help impose the new agreement.
The regional bloc has also made attempts on the sidelines to get the South Sudanese leaders to agree on a draft constitution on the formation of Transitional Government. However, the sidelines agreements, which are not negotiated by the South Sudanese stakeholders, are decried by the South Sudanese leaders.
In May, president Salva Kiir alleged that the two principals were threatened by the Ethiopian Prime Minister to sign a document they were presented with by the mediators. Although the two leaders signed the document, the leaders denounced the use of threats and demands that they will not accept “decisions imposed” on them.
Dr. Machar has declined to sign the recent agreement on power sharing and formation of Transitional Government of National Unity. The IGAD leaders and Salva Kiir have signed the protocol.
IGAD urges the SPLM/SPLA in opposition to sign the document as the mediators and the international community threatens to sanction and impose “punitive” actions to any party that delays peaceful process.
Following the two days summit, the parties are given 45 days to reach an agreement on formation of Transitional Government of National Unity.
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