On paper, the South Sudanese government led by President Salva Kiir and its armed opposition, commanded by former vice president Riek Machar, have agreed to declare permanent ceasefire.
They also agreed to establish a transitional government, collaboratively work towards a permanent constitution and legislatively establish reconciliation and peace-building institutions. All these are stipulated in a peace agreement that both the government and the rebels have reluctantly agreed to sign. Continue reading Why South Sudanese Signed a Peace Deal They Do Not Want→
The collective punishment of Yemenis for the Houthis’ intransigence will lead to two scenarios: a humanitarian catastrophe and an unprecedented number of allegiance to the Houthis. Despite the pressure, Eritrea will remain neutral in the conflict.
YEMEN’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has formally announced an alliance with Houthi fighters for the first time, after the Arab coalition launched two air strikes on his home in the capital, Sanaa.
Saleh, who was forced to step aside in 2012 following a year of deadly nationwide protests against his three-decade rule, escaped unharmed after the attacks early on Sunday.
IGAD Playing unhelpful game. IGAD mediation team led by Seyoum Mesfin provided only last page of the draft agreement on transitional government to Riek Machar to sign without showing him the text and when Machar insisted that he wanted to see the contents of the text first, they declined so then Machar refused signing it. Faulty process.
THE chief mediator mediating the peace talks between the two warring parties in South Sudan under the auspices of the African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has insisted that SPLM-In-Opposition led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar, did in fact sign the matrix on ceasefire agreement despite dismissal by the rebels.
In a briefing to the press in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin said the two parties had on Sunday signed the matrix for implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement (CoHA) which they signed since 23 January 2014 and called on them to abide by it and implement it fully. Continue reading IGAD is Failing in South Sudan Mediation: Rebel Spokesperson→
South Sudan rebel negotiators accused IGAD (by extension ‘Ethiopia’) of double standards; succumbing to outside influence; switching agreed documents with doctored and smuggled in foreign protocols at the eleventh hour; disregard parties concern to sign blindfold on a blank protocol with out the whole text; preferring to protect ‘a dictator’ for fear of setting precedence given similarities in their own countries; etc… Technically, they just f***ed up the whole process for God’s sake
SOUTH Sudan’s armed faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM in Opposition) led by the former vice-president Riek Machar has sharply criticised the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for what they said was its bias towards president Salva Kiir in the peace process which the regional bloc has been mediating for the past eight months.
IGAD heads of state and government on Monday in Addis Ababa signed a protocol on transitional government of national unity in which the regional leaders imposed that president Kiir remained the South Sudanese president and commander-in-chief of the army for the next two-and-a-half years until elections are conducted. Continue reading South Sudan: Rebels Accuse IGAD Mediators of Bias→
SOUTH Sudan’s president and rebel chief have met in Addis Ababa in a bid to end six months of civil war, agreeing to forge a transitional government within a 60-day deadline, Ethiopia’s prime minster says.
President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar met on Tuesday on the sidelines of a regional leaders’ summit organised by the East African regional bloc the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is brokering the slow-moving negotiations. Continue reading South Sudan Leaders Agree to Form New Government→
“I was threatened by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn that if I do not sign the peace deal right then he will arrest me” – President Salva Kiir
Ethiopia’s continued disregard of the Kiir government is open for all to see. From holding peace agreements inside the basement of a dark night club to a threat to arrest the President. Get this Ethiopia: President Salva Kiir is an elected leader of an independent state called Republic of South Sudan not a president of one of its ‘Kilils’ for God’s sake.
SOUTH Sudan President Salva Kiir has claimed that he and former vice president turned rebel leader Dr Riek Machar signed a peace deal Friday in Addis Ababa to avoid threats of arrest by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn.
After leveling accusations for the first time on unnamed foreign forces aiding rebels and suffering from mass defection of troops to the rebels side, South Sudanese government called for more involvement of foreign forces to fill the gap.
Rebel forces in South Sudan launched a major assault Tuesday on the key oil town of Malakal, the army said, as a ceasefire deal agreed with the government late last month appeared to be in collapse.
“Fighting is still continuing. There are pockets of rebels in Malakal town but they are not controlling Malakal town,” South Sudan army spokesman Philip Aguer said.
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh delivering President Isaias’ message to Ugandan President Yoweri K. Museveni on 12 FEB 2014
By Bereket Habteab,
The fighting between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar broke out in mid-December and Uganda sent its troops several days later to fight alongside forces loyal to President Kiir. However, the mystery behind who is sustaining the rebels in the conflict has got a hint of an answer yesterday when Ethiopian Prime Minister called for Uganda to withdraw its forces and threatened “regional proxy wars … with no-end in sight” if they fail to do so. Continue reading Ethiopia Supports Machar against President Kiir→
