US to hold mini-summit on S. Sudan alongside Africa meet in Washington

US President Barack Obama speaks during the Summit of the Washington Fellowship for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in Washington, DC on July 28, 2014. The US is trying to organise a mini-summit on South Sudan on the sidelines of the US Africa Summit this week. AFP 

By FRED OLUOCH, Special Correspondent

In Summary

• The four presidents issued a statement from State House Nairobi to the effect that the Africa-USA Summit to be held between August 4 and 7 will allow leaders to engage with American investors on the Lapsset project.
• This is a continuation of similar engagements that are being held with investors from across the Middle East and the Indian Ocean Rim.
• The US-Africa leaders’ summit will bring together African presidents and American business leaders in a forum expected to boost trade and investment between the two regions.

The United States is trying to organise a mini-summit on South Sudan on the sidelines of the US Africa Summit this week in the hope of finding a solution to the Sudan crisis that has persisted since last year.

Diplomatic sources said Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia would be key players in the meeting, where leaders of the three countries are expected to provide a regional solution to the standoff.

“Our leaders need to agree on key drivers in terms of the agreement reached in Addis Ababa,” reliable sources said a day after a meeting between Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Yoweri Museveni, Prime Minister Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and South Sudan President Salva Kiir at State House Nairobi.

The leaders were meeting in Nairobi to have a common position on the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor (Lapsset) to be presented to investors during the US Africa summit this week.

The sources added that the warring parties in South Sudan have almost reached consensus to create the position of a prime minister to lead the transitional government of National Unity, to be discussed when talks resume on August 4.

READ: South Sudan peace talks to resume next week

According to the proposal, the president will remain the head of state while the prime minister will be head of government. The Prime Minister to be picked during the negotiations in Addis Ababa will run the transitional government and oversee the next elections and then leave politics permanently.

While this proposal appears to be favourable to President Kiir’s side, the rebel side led by Dr Machar is yet to take a position. The proposal was put forward by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), whose envoys are set to consult with Dr Riek Machar in Addis Ababa on Sunday over the issue.

According to the chairman of the Law Society of South Sudan, John  Clement Kuc, this proposal would be the best because it will be impossible to form a transitional government without the inclusion of both parties. They are likely to frustrate the efforts of the transitional government to change the Constitution and bring about national reconciliation and healing.

He argued that there was need to create the position of prime minister so that if one sides gets the presidency of the transitional government, the other faction gets the premiership and other political parties get the vice-presidency.

He argued that the biggest obstacle to the talks on a transitional government — which has resulted in unnecessary delays — are the advisers of both President Kiir and Dr Machar who fear that they will lose out once the transitional government is formed.

However, Igad mediators have given in to demands by Dr Machar for the inclusion of civil society members in the diaspora in the multi-sectoral talks that will lead to the formation of a transitional government of National Unity.

The seven additions now brings the number of civil society groups to 18. Earlier, the six groups that had nominated 74 negotiators were; the South Sudan government, the rebels, SPLM leaders (former detainees), other political parties, civil society and faith-based organisations.

The government and the opposition had been given 15 accredited delegates each but are only allowed to be represented by 11 delegates during the negotiations. The remaining four groups have been given 11 slots each but can only present 7 per group during the plenary.

The resumption of the talks was further complicated by efforts by both sides of the warring factions to gain military advantage or win favours with regional countries. This means that the deadline to come up with a transitional government by August 10 will not be met as both sides give flimsy excuses not to resume the talks.