ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
A source with the Intergovermental Authority for Development (IGAD) on Wednesday dismissed media reports that Juba had rejected the terms of an IGAD-proposed peace deal aimed at resolving South Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
“This is just propaganda,” the source, speaking anonymously, told Anadolu Agency. “IGAD hasn’t formally received anything from the South Sudanese government.”
There was “no reason,” the source added, why either side would reject the proposal, “90 percent of which is based on the outcome of 19 months of negotiations.”
IGAD, he went on to say, would advise negotiators from both sides to come to Addis Ababa on the appointed date and begin talks on a proposed “compromise agreement”.
IGAD is an East Africa regional bloc based in Djibouti, which for over one year has been mediating South Sudan’s ongoing political conflict.
Following the failure of earlier ceasefire proposals, IGAD recently launched “IGAD-Plus,” a new initiative that brought a number of non-IGAD African states – along with several international actors – into the mediation process.
Under the auspices of IGAD-Plus, a “compromise agreement” was recently tabled calling on both sides of the conflict to meet for talks in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
The initiative gives negotiators until Aug. 17 to conclude a final peace deal.
In his recent visit to Ethiopia, U.S. President Barack Obama met with leaders of IGAD, to whom he reiterated the U.S. position that the Aug. 17 deadline must be respected.
South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 to become its own country, has been shaken by violence since late 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused Riek Machar, his sacked vice-president, of leading a failed coup attempt against his regime.
Since then, tens of thousands of people have reportedly been killed in fighting between government troops and rebel forces loyal to Machar, while hundreds of thousands of others have been forced to seek refuge in displacement camps across the country.
