http://www.kxxv.com/story/29800573/south-sudans-leader-refuses-to-sign-peace-deal
South Sudan's leader refuses to sign peace deal
By ELIAS MESERET
Associated Press
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir
refused Monday to sign a peace agreement with rebel forces, saying he
needs more time, mediators said Monday.
Kiir said he needs 15 days before he will sign the agreement with
rebel leader Riek Machar, according to mediators in the Ethiopian
capital of Addis Ababa. Machar signed the accord before Kiir refused.
Some South Sudanese women who participated in the negotiations were
seen crying after Kiir said he would not sign. Others banged tables to
express their disappointment.
Mediators had expressed hope that Kiir and Machar would sign a
"compromise document," including provisions on how to share power and
the composition of a coalition government.
South Sudan has been at war since December 2013 as government troops
try to put down a rebellion. Multiple attempts to sign a comprehensive
peace agreement have failed despite international pressure.
Machar told reporters he was surprised by Kiir's decision.
"I didn't know that he was not going to sign," he said. "I couldn't
find any explanation for this because he had it all. There is no
reason why he requested for more time. We had a good agreement, he had
a lion's share on many areas."
The international community had hoped South Sudan's rival factions
would finally reach a political settlement after months of on-off
negotiations under the mediation of a regional bloc known as IGAD.
The U.S. urged the warring factions to reach a peace agreement by Aug.
17 or face sanctions.
Donald Booth, U.S. special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, described
Kiir's decision as "unexpected," saying he hopes the president will
sign the agreement soon.
"But, as President Obama said, things will fundamentally change if
there is no agreement," he said.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby warned that
Washington would look at ways to "raise the cost of intransigence,"
though he didn't specify what that might mean in terms of sanctions or
other steps against Kiir or the South Sudanese government.
___
Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to
this report.
Received on Tue Aug 18 2015 - 10:38:19 EDT