SOUTH SUDAN-UNREST/ETHIOPIA-AGREEMENT South Sudan's president declines to sign proposed peace deal

Record ID: 143611

  • Title: SOUTH SUDAN-UNREST/ETHIOPIA-AGREEMENT South Sudan's president declines to sign proposed peace deal
  • Date: 17th August 2015
  • Summary: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (AUGUST 17, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PRESIDENT OF UGANDA YOWERI MUSEVENI ARRIVING AT THE PEACE TALKS PRESIDENT OF KENYA UHURU KENYATTA ARRIVING AT THE PEACE TALKS VENUE PRESIDENT OF SUDAN OMAR AL-BASHIR ARRIVING PRESIDENT OF DJIBOUTI ISMAEL GUILLEH ARRIVING PRESIDENT OF SOUTH SUDAN SALVA KIIR AND REBEL LEADER RIEK MACHA
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVATTU421LNH39QAOAOVF6EMCIL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Sudan President Salva Kiir failed to sign a peace deal proposed by regional leaders on Monday (August 17), saying he required more time.
    South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into chaos in December 2013 when a political row between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar spiralled into an armed conflict that reopened ethnic faultlines.
    Numerous rounds of negotiations have failed to end hostilities that have killed over 10,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, with both sides locked in a bitter war of attrition despite signing ceasefire deals.
    Last month, IGAD, the East African bloc leading the talks, set Aug. 17 as the deadline to end the drawn-out talks, outlining proposals for ending the fighting.
    The proposal designates a 30-month transition period with Kiir as president, with a first vice president post allocated to the rebels, IGAD said.
    Elections would be held two months after the close of the interim period. Both Kiir and Machar would be eligible to run.
    Siyoum Mesfin, the mediator for the regional group IGAD, said Kiir's side required two weeks before signing the peace deal that was accepted by the South Sudanese rebels.
    "The government has in fact initialled this peace agreement. They have only initialled it because they have certain reservations. They have decided to go back to the country and consult with the constituencies after which in the next 15 days the government will come back to Addis Ababa to finalise the peace agreement," said IGAD lead negotiator Siyoum Mesfin.
    Leaders from East African nations were joined by representatives of the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, the United States, Britain, China and Norway in Addis Adaba.
    Africa Union Chairperson, Dlazini Zuma said what was signed today was a step forward but they still need the other party to sign and the group was hopeful there will be a complete agreement.
    "It is not a complete step because other parties have signed but we still need one more but we are hopeful because the initialling was done so we are hopeful in the coming days consultations are made and finally they will be a complete agreement," said Africa Union chairperson Dlamini Zuma.
    A split within the rebels' ranks and sharp disagreements over the power-sharing formula proposed by IGAD threaten to curtail the peace efforts.
    While addressing the media, Machar said he was satisfied with the agreement but could not understand why Kiir did not sign the documents.
    "To me there is no reason why he has requested for more time. He has got a good agreement. It is power sharing at all levels whether it is a national level, they have a lion's share, at the state level they have the lion's share, so I didn't see why he didn't sign it. But ask the question to Salva Kiir," rebel leader and former South Sudan vice President Riek Machar said.
    In late July, U.S. President Barack Obama said South Sudan's warring factions faced more international pressure if they did not reach an agreement by IGAD's deadline.
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