Tuesday, December 31, 2013

USA Africa Dialogue Series - Sudan Update, Dec. 31st, 2013

South Sudan rivals to open peace talks

A South Sudan army soldier mans a machine gun - 30 December 2013 Talks in South Sudan's history have often been preceded by renewed fighting

Talks between South Sudan's government and rebels are due to start later on Tuesday in Ethiopia, mediators say.

The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities, they said.


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December 31, 2013

South Sudan Government, Rebels to Hold Talks

by VOA News

Representatives for South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have arrived in Ethiopia for talks on ending deadly civil unrest, but violence continues in a key city in South Sudan.

Kiir and former vice president Machar sent delegates to Addis Ababa on Tuesday to begin negotiations on ending the violence that began earlier this month.

The tribal bloodshed erupted when President Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, accused Machar, an ethnic Nuer, of attempting a coup.

The U.N. says the fighting has left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced tens of thousands.

In spite of an agreement on talks, fighting continues in Bor, the main town in the Jonglei state. Machar and his supporters say fighters loyal to him have recaptured the town.  Rebels briefly seized control of Bor earlier this month.

There was no immediate word from the government on whether rebels have overrun the town.

Earlier, Kiir and Machar agreed in principle to hold talks. However, the government rejected Machar's conditions, including the release of his political allies who were jailed in the early days of the crisis.

Hussein Mar Nyuot is part of Machar's delegation for the peace talks. At a Tuesday news conference in Kenya, he again urged the government to free the detainees.

"If you keep them in detention and you say you are going for peace, you are not giving a good gesture," he said. "So, we urge President Kiir and we are also asking the international community and members of IGAD to put pressure for the release of these detainees so that they can actually attend these reconciliation meetings in Addis Ababa or Nairobi."

The African Union also urged Kiir's government to release detained political leaders, and threatened to impose sanctions on those who continue to incite violence.

Nyuot also said Machar's delegation is willing to negotiate in good faith.

"We don't want our country to degenerate into ethnic fighting," he said. "We want it to be handled as a political issue to be handled by the government and by the opposition that is fighting. We sit down."

The East African bloc IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development)  had set a Tuesday deadline for the two sides to hold face-to-face talks. Reuters news reports IGAD said Tuesday both sides had agreed to a "cessation of hostilities." There was no immediate word on when the cease-fire would take effect.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni visited Kiir on Monday, and warned Machar to sign a cease-fire deal or face action from its neighbors.  

The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders said Monday tens of thousands of South Sudanese have fled Bor since violence broke out there last week between government troops and the Machar-backed force - the so called "White Army."

White Army youths are known for the white powder they use to cover their skin as an insect repellant. Like Machar, they are ethnic Nuers.

The talks are the first since conflict erupted two weeks ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy, Riek Machar.

At least 1,000 people have died and more than 121,600 are believed to have fled their homes.

Analysis

By sending a delegation to Addis Ababa, Riek Machar has agreed to one of the mediation's key demands - but not the other. The rebel leader told me he would not order his troops to stop fighting. This is something, he said, that can be discussed in Ethiopia.

Regional leaders had wanted a cessation of hostilities and talks to begin by 31 December. The attack on Bor was a clear attempt by Mr Machar to show his military power, which will strengthen his hand in any negotiations.

He also said his delegation will be led by Rebecca Nyandeng, the widow of the South Sudanese hero John Garang. As a Dinka, she may help Mr Machar challenge the allegation that his rebellion is primarily from his Nuer ethnic group.

It is interesting that Mr Machar is now admitting that the "white army" - an ethnic militia - is "part of" his army. This will not do much for his popularity in many parts of South Sudan.

East African leaders have been leading mediation efforts to end the crisis.

On Monday, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni threatened the rebels with military action if they failed to agree to a ceasefire by the end of Tuesday, and begin talks.

'Rebel gains'

Representatives of Mr Kiir and Mr Machar would meet in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to defuse tensions in South Sudan, the Ethiopian government said in a statement.

"The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and peaceful resolution of the current political crisis," the statement added.

Earlier, Mr Machar told the BBC he would send a delegation to the talks, claiming his forces had captured the key town of Bor.

But while he had agreed to negotiate, he said he would not order his troops to stop fighting.

He had previously demanded 11 detainees accused of being co-conspirators in a coup plan be freed before negotiations.

Mr Machar, who was deputy president until he was sacked in July, denies there was a plot - alleged by Mr Kiir.

The fighting initially broke out in South Sudan's capital, Juba, and has now spread to many parts of the country.

The situation in Bor is fast-moving, but a government minister confirmed that the town had fallen to Mr Machar's forces, reports the the BBC's James Copnall from Juba.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir told James Copnall a peaceful solution was still possible

A UN spokesman said Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, had come under attack at day break, not far from the town's UN compound.

Mr Machar said his delegation to talks would be headed by Rebecca Nyandeng, the widow of John Garang, who led South Sudanese rebel forces against Khartoum for many years.

Our reporter says as a Dinka she may help Mr Machar challenge the allegation that his rebellion is primarily from his Nuer ethnic group.

Mr Machar's forces are a mix of mutinous soldiers loyal to him and an ethnic militia called the "white army", known for putting white ash onto their bodies as a kind of war-paint.

Observers say the talks are likely to be complicated, as the two sides will have to agree on a mechanism to monitor a ceasefire.

South Sudan is the world's newest state. It was formed in 2011, gaining independence from Sudan after decades of conflict.

BBC map Fighting erupted in the South Sudan capital, Juba, in mid-December. It followed a political power struggle between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and his Nuer ex-deputy Riek Machar. The fear is that their rivalry which has turned violent will exacerbate ethnic tensions. 

Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)

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