simplemind
JF-Expert Member
- Apr 10, 2009
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Juba
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has
claimed that he and former vice president
turned rebel leader Dr Riek Machar signed
a peace deal Friday in Addis Ababa to
avoid threats of arrest by Ethiopian Prime
Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn.
The truce, which has so far been violated,
was intended to end five months of deadly
violence in which both sides have been
accused of widespread human rights
abuse.
Mr Kiir said after a lengthy meeting with Mr
Machar, that Prime Minister Dessalegn
came to him to say the problem had
become so tough.
This matter has involved threats. He (PM)
told Riek that you are not going if you
dont sign this, Mr Kiir said, referring to a
proposed peace deal.
He told me the same in the morning. He
told me that if you dont sign this, I will
arrest you here, Mr Kiir told a crowd at
Juba International airport upon his arrival
in the country on Sunday.
I said if you arrest me in this good place,
I am sure I will get good food. So there will
be no need to return to Juba. You will feed
me for free here, he said.
He said the PM gave Mr Machar copies of
the proposed peace deal, which he signed.
He said he asked for time to present them
to his negotiation team before signing.
Mr Machar's spokesman had earlier
denied any face to face talks between the
two principals as earlier demanded by the
United States secretary of state John Kerry.
South Sudan descended into chaos after a
failed December 15 coup which President
Kiir claimed was organised by Mr Machar.
Mr Machar denied the claims but quickly
mobilised a rebellion.
The war has claimed thousands of lives
and more than 1.2 million people forced to
flee their homes.
The Kiir-Machar peace deal was the latest
attempt to bring an end to the bloodshed.
The deal included humanitarian access
corridors and the formation of a
transitional government to run the country
on an agreed upon program until the
elections.
But two days after the signing, army
spokesman accused rebels of violating the
truce. The rebels denied that they first
attacked the government positions, but
insisted that the army had attacked them
in several fronts. nation.co.ke could not
independently verify the claims.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has
claimed that he and former vice president
turned rebel leader Dr Riek Machar signed
a peace deal Friday in Addis Ababa to
avoid threats of arrest by Ethiopian Prime
Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn.
The truce, which has so far been violated,
was intended to end five months of deadly
violence in which both sides have been
accused of widespread human rights
abuse.
Mr Kiir said after a lengthy meeting with Mr
Machar, that Prime Minister Dessalegn
came to him to say the problem had
become so tough.
This matter has involved threats. He (PM)
told Riek that you are not going if you
dont sign this, Mr Kiir said, referring to a
proposed peace deal.
He told me the same in the morning. He
told me that if you dont sign this, I will
arrest you here, Mr Kiir told a crowd at
Juba International airport upon his arrival
in the country on Sunday.
I said if you arrest me in this good place,
I am sure I will get good food. So there will
be no need to return to Juba. You will feed
me for free here, he said.
He said the PM gave Mr Machar copies of
the proposed peace deal, which he signed.
He said he asked for time to present them
to his negotiation team before signing.
Mr Machar's spokesman had earlier
denied any face to face talks between the
two principals as earlier demanded by the
United States secretary of state John Kerry.
South Sudan descended into chaos after a
failed December 15 coup which President
Kiir claimed was organised by Mr Machar.
Mr Machar denied the claims but quickly
mobilised a rebellion.
The war has claimed thousands of lives
and more than 1.2 million people forced to
flee their homes.
The Kiir-Machar peace deal was the latest
attempt to bring an end to the bloodshed.
The deal included humanitarian access
corridors and the formation of a
transitional government to run the country
on an agreed upon program until the
elections.
But two days after the signing, army
spokesman accused rebels of violating the
truce. The rebels denied that they first
attacked the government positions, but
insisted that the army had attacked them
in several fronts. nation.co.ke could not
independently verify the claims.
