South Sudan bishops slam warring parties for stalling talks

Details: Written/Submitted by External Source; Category: South Sudan & African News From Various Sources; Published: 19 June 2014; Hits: 1805

Religious leaders from South Sudan on Thursday accused warring factions of stalling peace talks to prolong fighting as the government and rebels continued to boycott negotiations. Both the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar are refusing to restart talks aimed at ending six months of bloodshed,...

Addis Ababa (AFP) - Religious leaders from South Sudan on Thursday accused warring factions of stalling peace talks to prolong fighting as the government and rebels continued to boycott negotiations.

Both the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar are refusing to restart talks aimed at ending six months of bloodshed, which has already killed thousands of people and displaced 1.3 million.

The government says it objects to comments made by Mahboub Maalim, the executive secretary of the East African bloc brokering the talks, IGAD, who said the idea that a military solution to the conflict could be pursued was "stupid".

Rebels, meanwhile, have objected to the participation in the talks of civil society groups, religious organisations and other political parties, complaining that they were not involved in the selection process.

"We fear that the warring parties may want to resort to war, it's kind of a delaying tactic," South Sudanese Bishop Enoch Tombe Stephen told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, where the talks are supposed to be held.

"They may be tempted to go back to the battlefield and fight it out. We do not agree with that position, rather we encourage them to return to the negotiation table," he added.

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Mahboub Maalim, executive Secretary of the East African bloc IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on De …

Bishop Isaiah Majok Dau, another South Sudanese religious leader, said neither side "is serious about these talks".

"This boycott is not helpful because people continue to die on the ground," Day said.

The talks in the Ethiopian capital have so far cost over $17 million (12 million euros) but have failed to stop the war, with ceasefire agreements repeatedly violated.

Kiir and Machar met this month and agreed to form a transitional government in 60 days, but that deadline looks unlikely to be met, and mediators have meanwhile threatened both sides face sanctions if the deadline is missed.

Speaking in the South Sudanese capital Juba, Kiir maintained a firm line on any transitional setup, saying he remained the country's elected leader.

"Our people overwhelmingly elected me as their president and nobody has the right and the power to remove me except the people themselves," he told parliament.

"Those who have the idea of dismantling our government must know our position very clearly. These are not people who have been honest in finding a just solution to the unnecessary war brought to us by those who want power through undemocratic means," Kiir added.

The fighting between Kiir and Machar's forces, which erupted in December, has been marked by widespread atrocities and, according to aid agencies, has pushed the world's youngest nation to the brink of famine.

The fighting started when Kiir accused Machar of attempting a coup, a charge which Machar denies. The rebel leader has in turn accused the president of being a "dictator" and trying to purge his rivals.