Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
WRITTEN BY EDITOR KALAHAN DENG
Any unplanned peace deal is doomed to collapse without notice. Having said that, in August 16th, 2015, the peace deal was signed by Pagan Amum, one of those leaders who rebelled against his president Salva Kiir and the ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) but, the party chairman was cautious on the deal with rebels. In other words, President Kiir refused to sign the deal and asked the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its international mediation partners for more time to consult with his political and military officials who are also not willing to cast their support for this fragile peace deal.
The question is why President Kiir agreed to come and be a partner in this peace deal. Didn’t he know that he would sign the deal? How can he refuse to sign the deal while the secretary general of his ruling party the SPLM has signed an agreement? Who among the living can call this a peace deal? There is no peace deal in any nation that is signed by one side like what happened on August 16th, 2015 in Adids Ababa, Ethiopia. This is an awkward agreement that would vanish like smoke in the air. In addition this is called a forced peace deal because it is originated from the 24 July compromise peace proposal by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its international meditation. In fact, this peace agreement did not originate from the two competing leaders hearts. There is no sincerity and truth about it. Simply; the two leaders Mr. Kiir and Machar were not listening to their hearts, minds, and souls before joining the final deal. They were not thinking before taking action about the agreement. They did not forgive each other before their wrecked peace deal and they did not pray for many lives that have been lost because of their greed and hunger for power. Who among them would be able to restore many lives that have been destroyed, millions more displaced internally and to the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan North? Where on earth can you see two heads of state in one country, two commanders-in-chiefs in one national government?
The other reason why I said this is a fragile peace deal is the fact that, the governor of the rebel’s created Bieh State from Jonglei, Koang Gatkuot declared on Tuesday that Lou Nuer, which forms a bulk of the armed fighters against the government of the South Sudan, will not continue to vow allegiance to their leader Riek Machar anymore. And in the latest event, a former senior officer of the Riek Machar forces who defected from the leader Machar last month claimed that his allied forces took control of Pagak headquarters since Tuesday, killing at least five fighters, including a former country commissioner Brigadier General Gatwech Puoch Maj, who called himself with the rank of a Major General said on Wednesday that, “Former commissioner of Leer County Dhiling Keka, was killed in the clashes in Pagak by bodyguards of Major General Peter Gatdet Yake, who allegedly defected from Machar last month together with Major General Gathoth Gatkuoth.”
Koang on his part talked to their rebel leader Riek Machar on the phone and told him that he had sold out Lou Nuer by signing a deal that gives the Juba’s government control of Jonglei State. But the group lead by former culture, youth and sports minister, Gabriel Changson Chang, who hails from a different party, is accused of seeking to maintain a separate party to fight against both President Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar.
To conclude this article, let us now exercise our judgements in regard to what I call the fragile peace agreement that was partially signed by the rebel leader Riek Machar but rejected by President Salva Kiir who requested from the IGAD to give him more time to consult his own party members. On the rebel part, it is apparent that many of Machar general defected and start fighting each other while their leader, Machar, who signed partial peace agreement, has no control over many of his rebels general. This seemed to be a dead end for this partial peace agreement between the warring parties.
