Gov’t must sign the peace accord within 15 days – Mesfin

IGAD chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin says government consultations within the next two weeks must not lead to a new round of negotiations.

On Monday, the government declined to sign a proposed peace agreement. It said it would first consult the South Sudanese people within 15 days.

The Former Detainees and the SPLM in Opposition signed the deal.

Mr Mesfin says he is certain that South Sudanese will not say ‘no’ to the agreement during the consultations.

“They don’t want this war to continue for a minute let alone for a day, for a week, for a month,” he told reporters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.

“The consultations must not again lead to another round of negotiations, endless negotiations. We are certain the people of South Sudan will not say to the Government ‘don’t sign this’ [deal].”

But on arrival to Juba on Tuesday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the views will not be in favor of the deal.

He said the government declined to sign because leaders of IGAD refused to make enough amendments to the proposal.

Mr Makuei said the only changes include the power sharing in the Upper Nile region, in which he said the government was given 46%, 40% for the opposition and 14% for the former detainees and other parties.

This is compared to the previous share, in which the government was to take 33% of power in the region.

But Mr Makuei said the mediators increased the power of the SPLM-IO in other states.

“They decided to extend the influence of the rebels further and gave them 15% in the other states against the provisions of the so-called Compromise Agreement,” Mr Makuei stated.

“The other thing which they did, and that was a drafting technique: they decided to delete demilitarization and continued to call it security arrangements of Juba. And they maintained the provisions for the demilitarization of Juba as they are. The government found that there was no change and as such decided not to sign the document.”

However, ambassador Mesfin insists that amendments were made to the satisfaction of the government.

“This is the question of power sharing at the top level – the President, the First Vice President and the Vice President. That is why people have failed to understand why the Government has failed to sign this Proposed Agreement,” he added.

The chief mediator said no agreement can meet all expectations of each party and urges the government to sign after the consultations.

However, Mr Makuei has described the document as a “sell out” of the country.