Gebre-Micahel Asgedom
International
chroniclers including Reuters had recently reported that South Sudan’s
Former Vice President and Opposition
Leader, Riek Machar had left the country
for a neighboring state(some allegedly mentioned Democratic Congo). His
departure took place several weeks after he withdrew from the Capital, Juba,
during fierce fighting with government troops. Statement issued by the
leadership of SPLA(opposition SPLA-IO)
said he had left the country last
mid of August to a ‘’safe country’’ within the region, though Spokesman James
Gatdet Dak declined to comment.
Machar
had a two-year saga of rebellion against forces loyal to his, long time rival
President Salva Kirr before the two
sides reached a peace deal in August, 2015. Under the deal,
Machar returned to Juba in April to resume his role as Vice President.
However,
fighting flared up last month, leading Machar to withdraw with his forces from
Juba around mid-July. Sources said that he retreated due to fear of death and
persecution that might be posed by government troops. His insider aides on
their social websites said that the rebellion fighters had relocated their
leader to a neighboring country where he could have easy access of media and
unhindered command of his fighters.
Salva
kirr had sacked Machar from his post and appointed Taban Deng Gal, a former
opposition negotiator, who broke ranks with Machar, as vice president. Kirr had
also fired six ministers that were said to be close allies of Machar and this
act had widened the political rift between the two forces and drawing threats
of more fighting.
The
incident has induced fear and drum-beat of war that caused more than 60,000
people to flee the country in fear of outbreak of conflict between the
supporters of the two sides in the past three weeks, UN said, on top of the
hundreds of thousands already forced out of their homes by two years of
ethnically-charged violence. The two years of civil war is said to have killed
more than 10,000 people and displaced over two million people, many of whom
fled to neighboring Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan.
Concerned
by the mobilization of forces, AU and
IGAD had so far reiterated the urgent imperative of an inclusive dialogue among
all concerned stakeholders based on the
rejection of the use of force , respect of human rights and dignity, the rule
of law and constitutional legality and their readiness to facilitate dialogue.
While the
peace process drags on, fighting continues on the ground including targeted
killings based on ethnicity, rape, the recruitment of child soldiers, and other
war crimes. Some said the conflict is ethnically charged and it is waged
between Kirr from the Dinka group and Machar a Nuer. Whatever, the conflict has
exacerbated the blood bath and proliferation of weapons.
It is to
be reminisced that both sides had agreed a peace deal in Addis Ababa, in Dec.,
2015, and set up a unity government. But the cease fire was violated several times
that lead Macahr to flee the country and demanded the intervention of
international force to keep both forces apart.
The turmoil
has dismayed regional and international powers that helped forces to broker
peace deal. The United Nations said that
any political changes must be consistent with the peace deal, which stated that
vice president must be chosen from the opposition. However, some sources said
that South Sudan needs new ideas used to broker peace deal rather than
UN-imposed government; the international community has to think about it
carefully as it cans not forge lasting resolution to the problems of South
Sudan as much as the owners of the
matter, the South Sudanese themselves.
Earlier,
while discussing with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon in Kigali, Rwanda, PM
Haile-Mariam Desalegen said that Ethiopia will strengthen its effort to support
regional and international community’s efforts to seek peaceful resolution to
the stalemate in South Sudan(his briefing quashes the allegation that neighboring
countries that should have been most involved in the peace process have not yet
utilized their unique economic leverage and diplomatic gambit to press for the
concessions necessary for peace in South Sudan).
He said
the situation in South Sudan is critical and Ethiopia is very much concerned
about the volatile situation on the ground that is causing loss of lives and destruction
of properties. He reconfirmed nation’s stance to tirelessly work with the two
faction leaders, support and ensure lasting peace in South Sudan. He stressed
that, as a chair of IGAD, Ethiopia will work to organize other countries in the
region and iron out problems in a concerted manner. Not only mere support, he
confirmed, as a close ally of South Sudan, Ethiopia will leave no stone
unturned to seal permanent and binding peace deal in the conflict-ridden
country and secure peace.
Taking in
to account peace keeping and peacemaking role in the Horn of Africa and being
the current Chair of African Union, Ethiopia is playing key role in bringing
together the parties to round table discussion and negotiation and curb the
conflict in South Sudan. Earlier, it had tried to broker peace between the two
parties since the conflict started; exerted effort to review the implementation
of the peace proposal forwarded by IGAD; condemned instigation of conflict and
any attempt of unconstitutional removal of democratically elected government
and called on immediate cessation of hostilities.
Ethiopia has become ardent proponent
of peace due to its foreign policy which is established on bedrock foundation
of peace and peaceful co-existence between neighbors of the region. The foreign
relation policy and national security strategy emphasizes that peace and
peaceful co-existence, fighting poverty and backwardness and the promotion of
democratization which enables to enjoy warm relations with all neighbors (with
the exception of Eritrea) as the government’s priority.
The policy makes clear that Ethiopia
values relations with its neighbors and has a keen interest in advancing
bilateral and regional relations on the basis of mutual interest. In this
regard, the revitalization of IGAD was, and remains, a top priority in
Ethiopia’s efforts to bring together neighboring countries in the quest for
peace, stability and economic development (Ethiopia, as peace-loving neighbor
and stalwart of regional development and integration, has been playing pivotal
role to help both forces of South Sudan to come to terms through round table
negotiation).
Ethiopia’s relations with its
neighbors are now far more solid than ever before. Apart from Ethiopia’s
declared policy of peaceful relations based on the principle of mutual respect,
the existence of enduring security, economic and political ties has made these
relationships closer and more dependable. As a member and Chair of IGAD, the
role of Ethiopia to stabilize East Africa, thrive peace and strengthen regional
integration is invaluable.
Similarly, Ethiopia’s active
participation in the AU as well as IGAD has contributed to the creation of a
cooperative framework among countries in the region on issues of common concern
including peace initiatives, conflict early warning systems and economic
integration. Apart from security, Ethiopia has always supported peaceful
resolution of conflicts between the fighting forces of Sudan. It remains
committed supporter of peace-deal and peaceful negotiation and has frequently
expressed willingness to use its close ties to help resolve any differences
over post-referendum issues of South Sudan.
As a witness to Ethiopia’s ardent
interest to broker peace, so far the two South Sudan forces had so many times
been invited to come to Addis Ababa and make negotiations. Similarly,
negotiations carried out in Addis Ababa by the commissioning and arbitration of
IGAD and Ethiopia had been more binding and relatively stabilizing than other
negotiations conducted elsewhere, until
it was broken by Salva Kiir when
he sacked Riek Machar and appointed Taban Deng Gai ,saying that Kiir had not
been on his position for a long time and the dead line had passed.
Nation says the two factions should
refrain from conflict and violence and start their discussions again. It
confirmed its stand that both groups should stop warring and implement the
Addis Ababa agreement eyed at resolving conflict, reforming volatile situations
and revamping security of the country. Besides,
Ethiopia is urging both parties to free Juba of unknown armed men that are aggravating
the security condition, disarm fighters, create an army composed of all ethnic
groups and loyal to the people and sovereignty of the country.
Ethiopia
is expressing its unflinching commitment to strengthen regional peace and
prevent the potential spillover impact of conflict in S. Sudan. It said it will
sustain its proactive effort to stem the tide of violence in South Sudan. Its
unwavering and commitment to affect lasting and binding peace deal in South
Sudan will continue as far as fruition. Nation believes that the peaceful
situation in neighboring countries enables to secure the overall peace and
security of the region and individual countries as well.
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