SOUTH SUDAN: The Failure of Negotiations for Final Peace Agreement Worries People
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| Bishop Santo Loku, Auxiliay bishop of Juba |
Fear of re-escalation
of war and uncertainty for their the lives, are the major concern of many South Sudanese after the failure of last
week’s talks for final peace agreement between the two factions of the SPLM
(Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the ruling party), led by President Salva
Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
of war and uncertainty for their the lives, are the major concern of many South Sudanese after the failure of last
week’s talks for final peace agreement between the two factions of the SPLM
(Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the ruling party), led by President Salva
Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
According to
Rt. Rev. Santo Loku Pio Doggale, Auxiliary Bishop of Juba, people on the ground
are worried of the looming war, except that they don’t know where and when is
it going to start.
Rt. Rev. Santo Loku Pio Doggale, Auxiliary Bishop of Juba, people on the ground
are worried of the looming war, except that they don’t know where and when is
it going to start.
The
negotiations, sponsored by the African Union and IGAD (Inter-governmental
Authority on Development,) an organization that brings together the Countries
of East Africa, failed because of the disagreement on the power sharing system
of the government of national unity that was intended to be set up to stop the
civil war which broke out in December 2013.
negotiations, sponsored by the African Union and IGAD (Inter-governmental
Authority on Development,) an organization that brings together the Countries
of East Africa, failed because of the disagreement on the power sharing system
of the government of national unity that was intended to be set up to stop the
civil war which broke out in December 2013.
“We in Juba
and most of the people around the country whom we were interacting with, already
anticipated that the peace talk in Addis Ababa was going to fail because the
issues that triggered the conflicts and the killings in Juba and in South Sudan
at large were not being addressed,” Bishop Santos said adding that “The leaders
were only talking about their positions of power. We read through the agreement
prepared by the IGAD, what we called the draft agreement and the major issues were
not addressed at all.”
and most of the people around the country whom we were interacting with, already
anticipated that the peace talk in Addis Ababa was going to fail because the
issues that triggered the conflicts and the killings in Juba and in South Sudan
at large were not being addressed,” Bishop Santos said adding that “The leaders
were only talking about their positions of power. We read through the agreement
prepared by the IGAD, what we called the draft agreement and the major issues were
not addressed at all.”
Bishop Santo
singled out the issue of governance as one of the factors that led to the
conflict which broke out in December 2013. “The question of good governance,
which is the main problem was not addressed,” he said adding that “The
constitution is not being respected and people are feeling that the government
structures are not serving them much and so, they have been calling for reforms
in the leadership structures as well as in the political parties’ structures,
as well as in the government machinery structures.”
singled out the issue of governance as one of the factors that led to the
conflict which broke out in December 2013. “The question of good governance,
which is the main problem was not addressed,” he said adding that “The
constitution is not being respected and people are feeling that the government
structures are not serving them much and so, they have been calling for reforms
in the leadership structures as well as in the political parties’ structures,
as well as in the government machinery structures.”
Another
issue that, according to Bishop Santo should have been addressed is the fact
that the conflict in South Sudan has taken an ethnic line where a number of
people have been targeted according to their ethnic affiliation. “This issue
has never been addressed in the talks. People have been killed because they
belonged to certain ethnic groups and this sinful issue was not addressed in Addis
Ababa talks; Their major concern was about leadership,” he said.
issue that, according to Bishop Santo should have been addressed is the fact
that the conflict in South Sudan has taken an ethnic line where a number of
people have been targeted according to their ethnic affiliation. “This issue
has never been addressed in the talks. People have been killed because they
belonged to certain ethnic groups and this sinful issue was not addressed in Addis
Ababa talks; Their major concern was about leadership,” he said.
“This is the
reason why the Bishops of South Sudan in their pastoral letter issued at the
beginning of this year ‘Go deeper’ called for the discussions of major issues
that are contentious in order to achieve real peace which the people of South
Sudan are yearning for,” he said.
reason why the Bishops of South Sudan in their pastoral letter issued at the
beginning of this year ‘Go deeper’ called for the discussions of major issues
that are contentious in order to achieve real peace which the people of South
Sudan are yearning for,” he said.
The other
issue is the loss of human lives and destruction of properties. According to
Bishop Santo, it was not in the agenda during the IGAD talks. “Hundreds of
people have been killed during the conflict and properties destroyed; people
have been pushed into poverty, how do you deal with these two issues? Yet
nothing of the sort has been addressed in that negotiation,” said Bishop Santo.
issue is the loss of human lives and destruction of properties. According to
Bishop Santo, it was not in the agenda during the IGAD talks. “Hundreds of
people have been killed during the conflict and properties destroyed; people
have been pushed into poverty, how do you deal with these two issues? Yet
nothing of the sort has been addressed in that negotiation,” said Bishop Santo.
“The issues
such as that of favoritism, discrimination according to tribal affiliations; need
to be addressed rather than power struggle between two ethnic communities yet
there are over 60 ethnic tribes in South Sudan,” he said.
such as that of favoritism, discrimination according to tribal affiliations; need
to be addressed rather than power struggle between two ethnic communities yet
there are over 60 ethnic tribes in South Sudan,” he said.
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online
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