S. Sudan: AU Urges Tough Action On Peace Spoilers

Juba -The head of the African Union has said it is time for body to act and punish a peace’s spoilers in South Sudan.

Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, who made these remarks during an AU meeting in the Mauritius capital, Nouakchott on Saturday, also criticized the body he is leading for not doing enough to punish the spoilers of peace in South Sudan.

This came amidst reports of violations of the permanent ceasefire by the parties, just hours after the Khartoum declaration entered into force.

However, Mr. Faki criticized the leadership, saying they are now used to the leaders not respecting their commitments.

“We are now used to the key actors in South Sudan not respecting their commitments… the situation is intolerable… It is time to act, to accept our responsibility,” Faki said in the statement

“The situation in South Sudan is serious. The humanitarian and security situation is increasingly difficult. The last few days we have had some good news, which I unfortunately now have to be question,” he said.

AU chaired further added that it is about time the AU acted to send a clear message to the key players to respect their commitments.

In the related story, the Council reiterated IGAD determination to bring peace to South Sudan in peaceful manners.

The Council also said, given the latest developments in the peace process and the need to implement the permanent ceasefire and achieve an inclusive peace agreement, “it is not helpful to pursue punitive measures at this stage,” said in the statement.

The Council further appealed to the friends and partners of South Sudan, to continue support peace process.

South Sudan got her independence in 2011, but just returned into civil war in 2013, over power wrangling between president Kiir and his former deputy Machar.

A conflict which is in it five years, has killed tens thousands of people and displaced four million people from their homes.

The regional blocs has been facilitated negotiations since 2014, which resulted to August 2015, brought back Machar as deputy president but it just collapsed followed a fresh fighting in 2016 in Juba between supporters of president Kiir and former deputy Machar, forced Machar’s fleeing a country for second time.

After that, IGAD proposed peace revitalization process as a tool to brought back a warring parties in an efforts to ending a conflict, but still at shaky move.