South Sudan Government Delegations and Political Parties Stakeholders on the boiling point
By Sirir Gabriel Yat,
Revised.
August 23, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — During the recent peace talks in Addis Ababa, South Sudan government delegation and members of civil society failed to show up on the roundtable for two consecutive days. Surprisingly, members of civil society and faith groups discovered that some stakeholders were holding closed-doors meetings with the former vice president, Dr. Riek Machar Teny of SPLM/SPLA(in opposition). According to Makuei the closed-doors meeting focused on power sharing arrangement among the stakeholders
Intelligence sources of government delegation discovered that the chairman of the country’s opposition parties, Dr. Lam Akol, who now leads 18 political parties was one of the main principles in the close-doors meetings. Others stakeholders that affiliate with the government were also present.
The private meeting, according to Martin Tako of government affiliated opposition, was a “gang up” against the Juba government of Salva Kiir Mayardiit. The insider leaked to the delegation that the “gangs” are planing to overthrow Salva Kiir government through “pen and papers”.
“There are multi-stakeholders that are grouping and ganging up to over throw the government of south Sudan through pen and paper… the members of delegation of political parties are holding private meeting in secret for the purpose of over throwing the government of Juba under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.” said the
The opposition thought this is unbecoming and therefore believe they had no choice but to incarnate their chairman, Dr. Lam Akol.
“In recent with Dr. Lam Akol which to us appears stakeholders are grouping and ganging together against the government delegations, We strongly protest this, and we thought that the behavior of our leader is not accepted to us and if He continue with the behavior, we can’t accepted Him to be our leader.” Says; Martin Tako.
Akol responded but only to challenge the logic of those who want to incarnate him for meeting his long-term ideological friend, Dr. Machar, behind closed-doors. Akol brushed off the accusation as allegations that do not “stand on their feet”.
He denied the allegations weight on his shoulder and assured the public that “the accuses they gave that the leader of our delegation, together with other met with leader of the SPLM/A in opposition cannot stand on it feet”
South Sudan delegations, who have now entirely withdrawn, are worried that the private meeting was an attempt to legitimize the proposed Transitional Government of National Unity(TGNU), which gives a lion share to the armed opposition.
The government delegation and the associated civil society discovered that they would rubber stamp the TGNU if they participate in it and therefore argue that the negotiation should focus on secession of hostility matrix.
The IGAD, which is under pressure from the International community for failing to meet the August 10 dateline, is set to see the warring parties sign this document even if it achieves so through hook or crooks.
“In a meeting held on Friday 15/08/2014 instance in order to pursue them not to reject the multi-stakeholders format of the talks indeed the meeting with SPLM/A in opposition took place on Saturday evening. If that was the reason for pulling out of the delegation, they should have raised the matter in the meeting.” Lam read out the reports.
Pastor from Faith group also says “ people are now dying in the southern Sudan and the IGADS talks is not bearing any single fruit neither any improvement. We have come out as political parties to give chance to the two warring parties, to continue discussing the matrix such that they sign it, without the matrix for peace to be sign by the two parties whatever we agree maybe not be accepted by the ground people at all because we are not fighting but these are the two parties fighting, if one party is not there than there must be ….
The talks can stop and more consultations could be done such that the two parties come together and then we are there to help to come in, we are not here for the formation of the government of the national unity no!
We are here for peace, such that our people get humble peace every body that will not be in the government will enjoy his right as a citizen of southern Sudan wherever he is living. Whoever will be in the government that will be God who will provide for Him.”
The government says it’s now waiting for the IGADs for it demands.
