February 21, 2015 (JUBA/ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese government on Friday said peace talks with the rebel group led by former vice-president Riek Machar, which is being facilitated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Ethiopia, could be delayed due to the recent split in the rebel camp to allow the government to know the legitimate group.

South Sudanese foreign minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin talks with members of the opposition delegation after a special consultation in support of the IGAD-led peace process in Khartoum on 12 January 2015 (Photo: Reuters)

Reports from Addis Ababa confirmed the arrival of the negotiating delegations from both sides led by Nihal Deng Nihal for the SPLM-in Government and Taban Deng for the SPLM-In-Opposition.

However, the minister of information, Michel Makuei Lueth, told reporters on Friday that the government negotiating team could not return to Addis Ababa as planned because it needed to know the legitimate representative of the rebels to continue with the talks.

‘‘As long as it is already a divided house, necessity may require us to ask the rebels to put their houses in order before we could talk with them,” Lueth said on Friday, referring to the defection of former rebel’s military’s spokesman.

“Until now, we do not know which group is legitimate to negotiate with us given this development. They (rebels) have to put their house in order first, otherwise it is difficult to negotiate with divided groups and different demands,” he said.

The minister, however, remarked that the government and its delegation remained ready to bring peace to the country and its delegation would leave the country soon to return to the venue of talks in Addis Ababa to resume negotiations.

Lul Ruai Koang, formerly spokesperson of the armed opposition under the leadership of former vice president, Riek Machar, broke away on Wednesday and formed a new movement before returning to Jubaon Thursday.

Koang said his group will separately negotiate with the government “anywhere” for the creation of a separate state of greater Akobo.

JUBA NOT READY FOR PEACE

South Sudanese rebel group led by former vice-president, Riek Machar, has accused president Salva Kiir’s government of making unnecessary “excuse” not to resume the peace talks, describing Juba’s recent comments as “laughing stock.”

The rebel leader’s spokesman however said such comments coming out from Juba indicated lack of seriousness to bring peace to the country, saying the rebel group was never divided.

“We are not divided. Our leadership is ready at the venue for the peace talks. We have one delegation ready for negotiations in Addis Ababa. It is the government that has not sent its delegation to the venue,” Machar’s spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

He said if the government was referring to Lul who “singly” deserted on Wednesday and returned to Juba on Thursday, there was no reason to negotiate with him in Addis Ababa, saying the defected officer was already among them in Juba.

“I want to say their excuse is a laughing stock,” he said.

Dak said he suspected the government was hiding the truth of the situation which delayed its delegation from respecting the scheduled resumption of the negotiations in Addis Ababa.

The two parties have to reach a final peace agreement before the 5th March and to form a transitional government, the IGAD warned.