Event Summary:
Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Sudan’s Omar Al-Bashir were on Wednesday hosted in Juba by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir for an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mini-summit in regards to the peace-deal.
IGAD has been on the core of mediating the 20-month civil war in world’s youngest nation South Sudan with breakthrough on 17th August where the warring factions of government agreed to a peace accord signed by the rebels and initialed by Salva Kiir.
OSINT reports had indicated the high probability of the signing of the deal during this summit in Juba following a statement issued by South Sudanese foreign Minister Barnaba Marial where he cited that Salva Kiir would sign the deal despite the reservations the government has.
Analysis:
On Wednesday August 26, 2015 leaders from East Africa; Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan convened for a mini-summit in Juba South Sudan on the peace process in the world’s youngest state; South Sudan.
South Sudanese foreign Minister Barnaba Marial had said in a statement that despite the major reservations including demilitarizing Juba that Kiir’s government had, he would sign the deal he had earlier initialed in Ethiopia prior to the international deadline.
When Kiir appends his signature on the peace agreement that was signed last week by the rebel leaders it will see the end of 20-month civil war in South Sudan and commence a new stage of national reconciliation and healing. The deal is hoping to provide a lasting solution to the conflicts in South Sudan seeing as there have been at least seven ceasefires that have been broken to the same effect.
Key Elements of the Peace Accord:
- Fighting should cease immediately, child soldiers and war prisoners be released.
- Soldiers be confined in barracks in 30 days as foreign troops leave in 45 days after the signing of the accord
- Military maintain a 15mile radius of the Juba and instead be replaced with Joint Integrated Police and guarded forces.
- A transitional national unity government be established and take a 30-month term in office within 90 days with Rebels getting the Vice president post
- National elections be held 60 days before the term of the transitional government ends
- In terms of legislative posts the government gets majority both at the national and the 10 state level but in the severely conflict-struck states like Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile rebels get almost equal representation
- Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Commission to investigate human rights violations and facilitate the stitching back of the country by reconciling the warring communities.
Conclusion:
The peace deal signing is being very closely monitored by the United Nations and African Union where they have agree to hold individual accountable for any form of sabotage of the accord.
The leaders have been cautioned to give total and genuine commitment to reconciliation with the interest of the South Sudan populace above personal and narrow interests.
The accord will end months of civil war that was characterized by despicable atrocities, economic turmoil and dire humanitarian crises that saw tens of thousands killed and millions displaced both internally and in fluxing into neighboring countries.
