[caption id="attachment_48067" align="alignleft" width="750"] President Kiir And Riek Machar[/caption]
The East Africa bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has released a new document called “the bridging proposals” on the high level revitalization forum on how the power should be shared among the warring parties in South Sudan.
The IGAD has further asked the warring parties to deliberate on the new proposal document overnight and bring back their position to the proposal tomorrow, May 23, which mark the final day for peace talks.
The IGAD’s issued two proposal on governance and security to HLRF parties; regional bloc want the warring parties to be reality and objective on this document so that they can reach compromise deal.
The document released on Tuesday’s afternoon proposes giving President Salva Kiir's government 55%, SPLM-IO 25%, other political parties 20%, former detainees 5%, political parties under the government 5% and South Sudan opposition alliance 10%.
However, Michael Makuei Lueth, President Kiir’s delegates’ spokesperson has confirmed to the press that they have a received the IGAD’s new document on peace, and they will deliberate it to make their final position.
In the new IGAD’s proposal draft agreement, aiming with the structuring of the transitional government, power sharing, expansion of the cabinets and parliament while the transitional government of national unity maintained president and the SPLM-IO takes up the first vice president.
In the same event, South Sudanese warring parties have signed a recommitment document on peace and cessation of hostility that attempted to narrow the gap and silence the guns in the restive east Africa’s youngest nation today afternoon.
The unity government, opposition groups, political parties and civil society groups signed the document on intra – South Sudanese dialogue.
The signing ceremony comes after peace talks facilitated by South Sudan religious leaders since last week as part of the High Level Revitalization Forum by led by the East African regional bloc IGAD.
The parties signed the document to pave the way for compromises for peace. The document is calling on the parties to recommit themselves to the peace forum and cessation of hostilities agreement.
The parties, according to the document, said they have agreed in principle on cantonment as they deliberate on the scope and timeline of the cantonment.
The South Sudan parties also agreed to continue effective consultations on governance and agreed to implement the 35% affirmative action for women in South Sudan.
Both the delegates said the recommitment of the South Sudan parties to the peace forum and cessation of hostilities agreement is great and remarkable.
Despite several agreements and ceasefires, fighting has rumbled on in South Sudan with barely any break since civil war erupted at the end of 2013, just two years after independence.
Troops loyal to President Salva Kiir clashed with forces loyal to Riek Machar, then the vice president. Tens of thousands of people have been killed.
The government and rebel groups signed the latest ceasefire in December in the Ethiopian capital, aiming to revive a pact reached in 2015. But the truce was violated within hours.
The conflict has forced almost 2.5 million people to seek refuge in Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The U.N. says a further two million are displaced inside the country.
Children are at risk of malnutrition; many are unable to attend school and have been recruited by armed factions. Women have reported being raped after their husbands were killed.
The forum in Addis was organised by the regional East Africa group, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The meeting between the government and rebel forces was held from May 17-21, which has ended on Monday with little progress.
After the deadlock, the regional blocs, broker peace deal, extended the peace talks for two days so that the warring parties should reach a compromise.
However, the observers described the IGAD’s new proposal as “the same status quo” that will not make impact on peace deal.
The conflict, now in its fifth years, a Country agricultural production has also declined as insecurity has left sometimes entire villages abandoned and crops untended.
