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Tuesday 18 August 2015

South Sudan: Government Fails to Sign Peace Treaty

The treaty would have meant peace and resettlement for over 1.6 million south Sudanese nationals who have been left homeless and 60,000 others fleeing the country.

By Staff Writer

JUBA - South Sudan,the worlds newest independent state yesterday failed to sign a much anticipated peace treaty between the State’s  president Salvar Kiir and former prime minister turned rebel leader Riek Machar. The treaty would have  meant peace and resettlement for over 1.6 million south Sudanese nationals who have been left homeless and 60,000 others fleeing the country.

South Sudan became independent from the Republic of Sudan in July of 2011, as the result of a peace treaty that appeared to put an end to nearly five decades of conflict between the Khartoum government and the southern third of Sudan. But South Sudan has been in a state of civil war since December of 2013, when tensions between rival ethnic groups within the ruling Sudanese People's Liberation Movement escalated into open conflict, and resulted in rebel leader Machar’s defection from the government. 

The peace agreement which was meant to determine how and whether Machar’s side can be incorporated into the government and to reform the Sudanese People Liberation Movement (SPLM) was supposed to be signed yesterday by the two sides. They had been given a period of 15 days to have signed a peace agreement. This however did not happen as Salva Kiir who overrode constitutional term limits and started a new unelected term as president declined signing the treaty saying he needed more time for consultation.

The two leaders have overlooked the growing number of people suffering due to this ongoing conflict by considering their personal gains and losses. The United States of America according to a statement released by Reuters through the state department spokesman John Kirby promised to work with regional and international partners on the next steps to increase pressure especially on those that are opposing the peace process and trying to undermine the agreement.

The USA further expressed its disappointment saying that they deeply regret that the government of South Sudan chose not to sign the agreement.  They have called on the government to sign the agreement within the 15 days it requested for consultations.

The conflict which has been going on for a year now according to analysts will end and see a lot of Sudanese nationals return home if Salva Kiir and the rebel commander Riek Machar agree on the terms of the agreement. It is however unlikely that the president will agree on power sharing.

More than 10,000 people have been killed and many in the oil-producing nation of about 11 million people are struggling to find enough food to eat. The leaders are supposed to put this into consideration and sign the agreement to ensure a long lasting solution for the challenges facing this young nation. Though several commitments by Kiir and Machar to end the conflict have failed everyone is hopeful that it will work out fine this time putting the young country on the path to development and reconciliation.

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