US and its Partners Push for Peace in South Sudan

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking during a press conference with the seven detainees released to his custody by South Sudan - Associated Free Press

The international community is urging South Sudan’s government to release the last four political detainees it arrested as the country erupted in violence last month as it will likely advance the peace process in South Sudan, even though peace talks will continue even if the four men remain in custody.

Envoys of the United States, Britain, Norway, China and the European Union met Thursday with the East African regional bloc IGAD, which has been mediating peace talks between South Sudan’s fighting factions. In fact, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns stated that South Sudan’s release of seven political detainees on Wednesday should be followed by the release of the other four.

“The recent step to release seven of the eleven persons detained by the government of South Sudan can be used to create momentum and a political process, and at the same time we continue to urge the release of the remaining four detainees,” he said.

Last week, there were two agreements signed. One called for a cessation of hostilities, while the other dealt with the eleven opposition members who have spent more than six weeks in detention. Burns indicated that a full implementation of the agreements was needed in order for South Sudan to seize this opportunity for peace.

Burns also went on to say, “The truth is South Sudan, both its people and its leaders, have an important moment of choice before them. Whether to choose to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Cessation of Hostilities agreement, and to build on it, and enduring to end the violence — or to miss that opportunity and to allow mistrust and violence to overcome that chance.”

The cessation of hostilities was supposed to take effect last week Friday and IGAD indicated that the reports, which state that fighting was still going on, were not completely true and that the agreement was largely holding. The South Sudanese rebels stated that they want the detainees released so they can take part in the political phase of the peace talks, due to start in Ethiopia on February 7.

IGAD’s lead mediator, Seyoum Mesfin, said that whether or not the last four detainees were released, the political talks would still go on. He also stated, “There is no alternative to the peace process and dialogue, both parties recognize this and they have said this and agreed upon during the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement.”

Ministers of the IGAD countries will meet on the sidelines of the African Union summit Friday to outline the details for the political process and see what can be done to resolve the conflicts which began in South Sudan mid-December between army troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebel groups loyal to Machar.

Source: Voice of America