Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2014 19:34:23 +0200
Riek Machar: I doubt Kiir will stick to the peace agreement
Asharq Al-Awsat speaks to the leader of one of South Sudan's two warring
factions
Written by : <http://www.aawsat.net/author/mustafa-sirri> Mustafa Sirri
on : Monday, 2 Jun, 2014
London, Asharq Al-Awsat-The recent violence in South Sudan, the world's
youngest country, has brought a third of its 12 million citizens to the
brink of starvation, according to the UN. With the country at a standstill
in the wake of the fighting between the followers of President Salva Kiir
and his former deputy and rival, Riek Machar, the people of South Sudan and
its neighbors await the outcome of the (so far) inconclusive talks between
the two leaders.
Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to Machar in the midst of a regional tour following
his recent brief meeting with Kiir in Addis Ababa about the shaky ceasefire
in South Sudan, and about the next steps in the country's ongoing peace
talks.
Asharq Al-Awsat: What is the nature of your tour of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) countries? What are the preliminary results
of your visits?
Riek Machar: I undertook the tour on the initiative of the IGAD in order to
meet presidents of the member states. On [May 28] I had a fruitful and
successful meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta during which I
explained to him our position and the circumstances surrounding the conflict
that began on December 25, 2013. I also encouraged the Kenyan president to
exert more efforts to make the peace talks work, [talks] which, according to
intermediaries, will resume in Addis Ababa next week. We were met with
understanding on the part of Kenyatta and his aides. We reaffirm our
commitment to the May Agreement and express our determination to arrive at a
political solution to end the conflict.
Q: Are you visiting non-African countries?
Yes, I will visit the Nile Basin countries, Nigeria and South Africa. These
countries are important for us and are supportive of the IGAD intermediary
efforts. We also maintain good relations with these countries. We will also
visit other countries which we will announce later. This tour is highly
significant for us because we want to explain to the world what happened. It
is also important for the future of our country once the negotiation process
has succeeded and a peace agreement has been reached.
Q: It has been reported that you will visit Sudan. But there have been
rumours that Khartoum has some reservations about your visit. Have you been
informed by Sudan about any such reservations?
Khartoum has not expressed any reservations but we have heard reports that
Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir has undergone surgery and needs some time
to recover. We wish him a quick recovery. Once his recuperation is over I
will visit Khartoum.
Q: Is there a date set for your visit to Khartoum? Or will it be up to the
Sudanese government to decide?
Of course the visit will not be this week or the one after, and we will go
whenever the Sudanese government says it is ready to receive us. As you
know, Sudan is a member of IGAD and has a representative in the intermediary
team sponsoring the negotiations between us and Salva Kiir's government. We
want to explain our position clearly to the leaders of the IGAD countries.
Q: Juba still claims that you staged a military coup in December. How would
you explain this to the IGAD countries?
The whole world, not just the countries of IGAD, knows that we did not
attempt a military coup on December 15. And we are past this point now. But
what we wish to explain is the random acts of murder and racial cleansing
that took place in Juba. That is why the IGAD has decided to give us a
chance to meet with the presidents of its member states.
Q: Your forces are also accused of committing atrocities in Bentiu,
including the murder of civilians
This is not true at all! We have not committed crimes in Bentiu. In fact,
there were fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the
Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of Minni Minnawi and Abdul Wahid Al-Nur in
the city. While they claimed to have been cleaning the city, these two
groups were in fact fighting alongside forces loyal to Kiir. And there is
abundant evidence for this.
We have requested an independent investigation to be launched with the
participation of the UN. We have to wait and see what will come out of these
investigations. We support transparent investigations to uncover the truth.
Reports that our forces have committed atrocities, whether in Bentiu or Bor,
the capital of Jonglei, are absolutely wrong. In fact, government forces and
militias are the ones that committed these terrible crimes.
Q: What of the agreement you signed with Kiir on May 9?
We have signed a roadmap agreement which begins with a ceasefire between
both sides. It also addresses many other issues, most prominently the
cessation of hostilities and allowing humanitarian aid to reach
government-held areas and the ones we have taken control of, through Juba
and neighboring countries such as Ethiopia. The roadmap also tackles
political issues relating to systems of governance.
Q: Does the roadmap include an article on the formation of a transitional
government?
The roadmap clearly states that we should discuss the roots of the conflict
in order to end the crisis. Because we have not signed a framework agreement
leading to a peaceful solution, it is still early to talk about the
transitional government. This is because the roadmap and the framework
agreement will lead to an agreement on a comprehensive solution, including
the formation of a transitional government.
Q: What about the accusations that your forces broke the ceasefire?
The other side mobilized its forces to strike our bases after signing the
agreement. It is not our forces that started [the fighting]. We still have
doubts about the other side's intentions, particularly since Kiir, after
returning to Juba, told the media that he signed the roadmap agreement under
pressure. We doubt Kiir will adhere to the agreement. What is required from
[him] is to renew his commitment to the agreement. Otherwise, we will
consider him as [having reneged on] it.
Q: Would you accept an agreement that stipulated neither you nor Kiir could
take part in a new government?
I do not want to discuss the transitional government before a thorough peace
agreement that establishes new system of governance and legislation in the
country has been reached. Once these foundations have been laid, we can
discuss transitional government. Now is not the right time to talk about
[it].
As for your question about my participation in the transitional government,
let me explain this to you: First, Kiir has had his share of power. He ruled
the southern part of Sudan since 2005 during the transitional period. And
after South Sudan became independent three years ago he remained in power.
During this period, Kiir has carried out atrocities in the country and
people have lost their confidence in him. Therefore, you cannot compare me
to him, or put us on an equal footing.
Q: Do you rule out a reconciliation with Kiir?
Reconciliation with Kiir can be achieved after reaching a conclusive,
peaceful solution and peace agreement. Such an agreement would of course
lead to national reconciliation. Only then can we reconcile, though this is
not a personal conflict. It is a political conflict between [people with]
different visions. Therefore, if a political agreement is reached, we will
move towards reconciliation.
Q: The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in South Sudan,
Hilde Johnson, said she will resign from her post in June after Juba accused
her of taking your side. What do you make of this?
Johnson is entirely innocent of these charges. She did not provide us with
any support at all. Rather, she has been neutral during the crisis. We
respect her for the role she played in South Sudan even before independence.
I believe there are other reasons behind her resignation.
Q: What dealings have you had with the 11 Sudan People's Liberation Movement
(SPLM) figures who were released by Kiir earlier this year?
During the SPLM congress in April, we welcomed the 11 SPLM figures and told
them they are free to undertake peaceful struggle or join us. Of course, we
do not have any political disputes with this group. Our means of struggle
are different: we chose armed struggle while they chose a peaceful one.
<http://www.aawsat.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Riek-Machar.jpg> Riek
Machar (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riek Machar (Asharq Al-Awsat)
(image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg)