South Sudan opposition rejects talks venue change

South Sudan’s main opposition armed group has opposed the Juba government's push for the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (Igad) peace talks to be moved from Addis Ababa.

The group led by former Vice-President Riek Machar claimed the push would expose its delegates to risks.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) deputy envoy to Tanzania, Mr Peter Oyoyo Kleta, claimed that the Juba demand was a plot to assassinate, arrest, deport and manipulate the opposition.

The South Sudan government wants the regional bloc mediating the peace process to change the venue, citing political instability in Ethiopia as a threat.

Juba also said the instability in Ethiopia could compromise the security of the delegates and disrupt the peace talks.

Ethiopia is struggling with an unrest in the Oromia region and other parts and the last month resignation of Prime Minister Desalegn Hailemariam.

Mr Kleta said the unrest was never a threat to the South Sudan peace talks in Addis Ababa.

“I don’t’ agree with the idea of changing the venue from Addis Ababa to elsewhere.

“The government in Juba wants to spoil the peace process by claiming that there is political instability in Ethiopia. First of all, Ethiopia is more stable and safer than the countries Juba proposed. The demonstration in Oromia region and other parts of Ethiopia is never a threat at all,” he told the Africareview.

“Even if it were true that Ethiopia is not stable, then the African Union and the UN should take over the mediation file,” he said.

The envoy accused Juba of planning to eliminate influential opposition leaders by transferring the peace talks to a country unsafe for them.

Mr Kleta further asserted that Juba was aiming to have an upper hand through secret deals with its friends in the region to dictate to the opposition in the peace process.

He cautioned Igad to reject the Juba demand and maintain Addis Ababa as the venue for the peace talks.

“I call upon Igad not to accept this crazy idea since the regime tactics are well known,” he claimed.

South Sudan became independent in 2011 but entered into war in December 2013 after political differences between President Salva Kiir and Dr Machar turned violent.

Over 100,000 people lost lives, according to the International Crisis Group.

The UN said over 2 million South Sudanese became refugees in neighbouring countries and another 1.9 million more remains internally displaced.