By Gatdiet Peter,
Dec 24, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — On Ausgust 17, 2015, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the chairman and C-In-C of SPLM/A-IO signed the IGAD PLUS compromised peace agreement on resolution of the conflict in South Sudan and 9 days later, exactly on wednesday, august 26, president Salva Kiir has appended his signature on the paper of the peace deal. The regionally and internationlly brokered deal was imposed on the warrying parties to stabb the cause of intransgience which had been blocking the road of reaching an agreement since roundtable talks started in january 2014. But it is now, december 2015 when the implementation of peace agreement is still not yet to commence as agreed on the document which says a government of transitional period of approximately three years should start after three months of pre-transitional period from the date of its signature.
Today, people of South Sudan are grooming the ground and celeberating the arrival of 150 membership of SPLM/A-IO’s advance team from the armed opposition held town of Pagak in Upper Nile state to South Sudanese capital, Juba, a high level delegation led by Gen. Taban Dend Gai, the SPLM/A-IO’s chief negotiator of the peace talks and chair of its National committee for peace and reconcilation. The arrival of SPLM/A-IO’s advance team in Juba will be performing and demonstrating three important things and will also be generating hope to traumatized people of South Sudan who have live with brutal and cruel violence for the fast three years;
1. A everlasting and meaningfull peace has return to South Sudan that will give Security, Freedom, Transquility, Equality and Justice to more than 1.5 million internally displaced persons(IDPs) who had fled violence to sought refuge in UN protection of civilain sites and possible return and/or repatriation of an estimated 3.4 millions South Sudanese refugees who have been fleeing away since then the start of civil war in South Sudan to seek security, shelter and even food _refuge in neighbouring countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Congo and Uganda and beyond.
2. The arrival of advance team will widely open a new chapter for meaningfull home Reconciliation and National healing among the local communities to sewed the badly torn social fabric among our people, especially the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups. The violence which initially erupted in Juba and quickly spread to other states( Bentiu, Bor and Malakal, Leer…etc) had indeed affected 90% people of South Sudan whether directly or indirectly.
3. The arrival of advance team will steadily improve the soaring economic situation all over South Sudan, due to the fact that, the government can now open and commence operating the halted oil fields in Unity state( Tharjiath oil wells, Unity oil wells, mala oil wells….etc) and secure full operation of Paloich oil fields in Uppper Nile state which has been under security threat from the armed opposition. This etails that there will be no more attacks____No more fighting.
The war had took lots of lives and more properties got destroyed, looted and/or burnt and undoubtedly, the war had so far impacted the livelihoods of the people, economic development and also economic planning get outdated which is now a point of economic meltdown beyond measurement.
We hope everlasting peace and stability for South Sudan!!
       Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
The author, Gatdiet Peter, is an SPLM-IO activist. He can be reached at gatdietpeter90@gmail.com.
