South Sudan's rebel leader refuses to sign peace deal
Tue Aug 28, 2018 01:03:pm Africa
3.1K By Obiaks Blog
Despite growing hope that sustainable peace may soon return to South Sudan after both parties in the Sudanese war holding talks for weeks, rebel leader Riek Machara on Tuesday refused to sign a final peace deal with the government, headed by arch rival President Salva Kiir.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed told reporters of the deal, saying "the main South Sudanese opposition groups, including the SPLM-IO (Machar faction), refused to sign the final document demanding that their reservations be guaranteed in it."
Talks had been going on in Khartoum for weeks towards getting a comprehensive peace deal that will bring to an end the conflict will has displaced more than a million Sudanese and killed ten of thousands since 2013.
"For the first time, the opposition told us that it will not sign," Ahmed said, showing a draft of the deal.
"South Sudan will not have peace unless these groups sign."
Speaking to a gathering of both reporters and diplomats in the Sudanese capital, Ahmed said the opposition's refusal to sign spelled the end of the current Khartoum talks.
"This was the last round of negotiation," Ahmed said, adding that the mediators will submit the final text to the East African regional bloc IGAD which has led the South Sudan peace push.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed told reporters of the deal, saying "the main South Sudanese opposition groups, including the SPLM-IO (Machar faction), refused to sign the final document demanding that their reservations be guaranteed in it."
Talks had been going on in Khartoum for weeks towards getting a comprehensive peace deal that will bring to an end the conflict will has displaced more than a million Sudanese and killed ten of thousands since 2013.
"For the first time, the opposition told us that it will not sign," Ahmed said, showing a draft of the deal.
"South Sudan will not have peace unless these groups sign."
Speaking to a gathering of both reporters and diplomats in the Sudanese capital, Ahmed said the opposition's refusal to sign spelled the end of the current Khartoum talks.
"This was the last round of negotiation," Ahmed said, adding that the mediators will submit the final text to the East African regional bloc IGAD which has led the South Sudan peace push.
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