June 1, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan former First Vice President and rebel leader Riek Machar has called on the UN Security Council to end in order his forced exile in South Africa and to allow him to engage in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
- South African President Jacob Zuma meets South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar in Pretoria on 18 February 2016 (ST Photo)
“We [SPLM in Opposition] are calling on the UN to end the international policy of isolating the SPLM(IO) including my release from the confinement and detention so as to enable our full engagement in finding a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” said Machar in a written statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
In October 2016 Machar left Khartoum to Pretoria officially for medical treatment. But in fact, his travel had been decided in a common agreement between the IGAD countries. Washington was involved in the decision.
One month later, the former first vice-president successfully escaped his residence in Pretoria and reached Khartoum and Addis Abba. But he was forced to return to South Africa as the Sudanese and Ethiopian authorities refused to allow him to enter into their territories.
The idea was to grant him an asylum in South Africa far away from South Sudanese politics, with the hope to contain the situation and prevent the eruption of hostilities again.
According to the seven – page text, Machar made his call during a video conference on Wednesday with the Security Council. However, South Sudanese diplomat said he had a meeting with officials from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) who sought to convince him to stop the hostilities following a unilateral cessation of hostilities declaration by President Salva Kiir.
Machar accused President Kiir of resisting reforms and democratisation of the ruling party.
The second part of written speech detailed the failure of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) and actions that should be taken to end the war in South Sudan as third port of his presentation.
“We [SPLM-IO] are calling on the UN to initiate a political process for peaceful settlement of the conflict using the agreement (ARCSS) as the basis, review the status of the UN peacekeeping forces to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively,” he further said.
He further said a humanitarian conference should be convened and “a political process for peaceful settlement of the conflict using the agreement as the basis” will end the war in South Sudan.
In a meeting with the Acting Director in the Office of U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Paul R.Sutphin, on 27 April, the SPLM-IO delegation called for the ARCSS revival through an inclusive political process that requires the involvement of the two warring parties to the South Sudanese conflict.
The rebel group further said that the SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar should be the one leading the group for the new peace negotiations.
However, the American official reiterated that they want Machar to continue to be in South Africa until the conclusion of a lasting peace agreement by his group and not his person.
” We still hold the view and of the support that Dr Riek should still remain in South Africa until lasting and sustainable peace followed by the political settlement of the conflict in South Sudan is achieved,” said Sutphin, according to the minutes of the meeting seen by Sudan Tribune.
Source Sudan Tribune (ST)