South Sudan peace deal greeted with quiet optimism by humanitarian world

UN agencies working to prevent millions of people in South Sudan^[1] from sliding into famine have responded with cautious optimism after President Salva Kiir signed a long-awaited peace deal aimed at ending the country’s 20-month civil war and putting it on a path to peace.

The agreement calls for a ceasefire within 72 hours and the formation of a transitional government within 90 days. It also bars “actions that may impede or delay the provision of humanitarian assistance, or protection to civilians, and restrict free movement of people”. If adhered to by all warring parties, the deal could allow aid agencies to start increasing humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.

World leaders and humanitarian organisations welcomed the deal but warned it must now be implemented.

“We welcome the decision by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to choose peace, and recognise this significant step as the full and final approval of the agreement by the government of the Republic of South Sudan,” said ^[2]Mary Catherine Phee^[3], the US ambassador to South Sudan, who also spoke on behalf of the UK and Norway^[4].

“To avoid a return to fighting, we urge all of the leaders of South Sudan to fully commit to the full implementation of all elements of this agreement.”

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, head of the African Union, welcomed the deal and called on all sides to “scrupulously abide by its terms and faithfully implement its provisions”. “Seize this unique opportunity to open a new chapter,” she urged.

An escalation in fighting in April and June prevented humanitarian groups from accessing South Sudan’s most vulnerable areas. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, which has left many seriously food insecure. About 2 million of the country’s 11 million people are thought to have fled their homes, often to neighbouring states.
^[5][6]

“There’s a lot of talk of famine around the corner,” said Jonathan Veitch, the South Sudan representative for the UN’s children’s agency, Unicef. “The only way we can prevent it is to have guaranteed access and safety and security for all of our teams.

“We’ve got to reach these people now, we’re reaching the peak of the lean season [when food supplies are lowest]. We’ve got a quarter of a million children suffering from malnutrition. If we don’t reach them soon, then a lot of them are going to die.”

Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that they had delivered food aid and medical treatment to 27,000 people in Wau Shilluk^[7], in Upper Nile state, one of the areas most affected by fighting. The agencies said they have not been able to reach the area since March because of heightened military activity.

“Now that the agreement has been signed, we’re hopeful that immediately there will be free access for humanitarians to go to all areas and that we can access many, many more thousands of people,” said Veitch.

“Now we need to test that and we need the [warring factions] to enable us to get into these communities which have been absolutely devastated,” he added.

John Hoare, from the aid agency CARE, warned that words were not enough for the people of South Sudan. “They need real commitment from their leaders to ensure that this is a lasting peace, that the violence has ended and the reconciliation process can begin,” he said.

The rebel leader Riek Machar, Kiir’s long-time rival, who is expected to become first vice-president under the deal, signed the document on 17 August in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Kiir, who has led South Sudan since it seceded from Sudan in 2011^[8], had asked for more time to consider the deal, drawing threats of UN sanctions^[9] if he failed to sign within a two-week deadline.

He reiterated his reservations even as he finally acceded.

“With all those reservations that we have, we will sign this document,” he told African leaders who had gathered in Juba for the signing ceremony.

Kiir gave a document to regional leaders listing his concerns. Mediators claimed he was concerned about a demand that Juba become a demilitarised zone and conditions that he consult the first vice president on policy.

The conflict erupted in December 2013^[10] after a power struggle between between Machar, an ethnic Nuer, and Kiir, from the dominant Dinka group. Fighting has increasingly followed ethnic lines.

The peace deal follows months of on-off negotiations, hosted by Ethiopia, and several broken ceasefire agreements^[11].

Even as Kiir signed, there were early indications of the challenges implicit in implementing the new deal across the divided country. Rebels said they captured a town south of Juba on Wednesday after their troops were attacked, and that there had been other bouts of fighting with government forces.

Kiir told the ceremony that rebels launched a raid in the north of the country earlier in the day. “Now you can see who is for peace and who is for continued war,” he said.

References

1. ^{^} South Sudan (www.theguardian.com)
2. ^{^} said (www.facebook.com)
3. ^{^} Mary Catherine Phee (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} the US ambassador to South Sudan, who also spoke on behalf of the UK and Norway (www.facebook.com)
5. ^{^} seriously food insecure (reliefweb.int)
6. ^{^} 2 million of the country’s 11 million people are thought to have fled their homes (www.unocha.org)
7. ^{^} they had delivered food aid and medical treatment to 27,000 people in Wau Shilluk (www.wfp.org)
8. ^{^} seceded from Sudan in 2011 (www.theguardian.com)
9. ^{^} threats of UN sanctions (www.theguardian.com)
10. ^{^} erupted in December 2013 (www.theguardian.com)
11. ^{^} several broken ceasefire agreements (www.theguardian.com)