President Salvar Kiir, right, and rebel leader Dr Riek Machar shake
hands on June 20, 2018, after signing the peace agreement in Khartoum.
FILE PHOTO | NMG
There is a possibility of guns falling silent in South Sudan
after almost five years of war, following the signing of the Khartoum
Declaration Agreement between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Dr
Riek Machar in Khartoum, Sudan.
The agreement came on
the back of years of failed agreements that have left thousands dead,
millions displaced and international partners disillusioned.
The
Khartoum Declaration Agreement has five critical areas that will form
the foundation of a comprehensive peace agreement to be realised by July
10: A permanent ceasefire; reforms in the security sector;
rehabilitation of the oil wells; improvement of the South Sudan
infrastructure connected with the livelihood of the citizens; and
regional countries invited to deploy necessary forces to supervise the
ceasefire.
President Kiir and Dr Machar made a
commitment before regional representatives and the world to respect the
agreement and forge lasting peace.
“I’m committed and
respect all the documents that have been signed and will abide by all
the agreements that will follow,” President Kiir pledged in a forum
presided over by President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan on behalf of the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) mediators.
Dr
Machar said the agreement will stop the suffering and give renewed hope
to the people of South Sudan and that “they will be happy soon.”
Others who signed the document were the representatives of the
South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), former detainees and other
political parties.
The agreement
The
key challenge lies in achieving a permanent ceasefire within 72 hours
(July 1) given that the warring parties have violated various cessation
of hostility agreements since the 2015 peace agreement, while over 20
armed groups have emerged since then.
The permanent
ceasefire augments the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed last
December but which was violated by both sides inside 24 hours.
This
time, the parties to the Khartoum Declaration are expected to agree on
all ceasefire arrangements including disengagement, separation of forces
in close proximity, withdrawal of militias allied to various sides,
opening of humanitarian corridors and release of political prisoners.
The
parties are also expected to agree on monitoring mechanisms, and Igad
and AU member states are invited to deploy the necessary forces to
supervise the ceasefire.
Still awaiting serious
discussion is the security arrangements to create one national army,
police and other security organs with national representation.
This
is a departure from the 2015 agreement that provided for two armies
with two commands during the transitional period. President Kiir had
said two armies had caused fresh fighting in Juba in July 2016, killing
the agreement.
Details of the power-sharing
arrangements are also pending but have to be completed before the end of
the Khartoum Round of Talks.
However, the framework
contained in the Khartoum Declaration proposes a pre-transitional period
of 120 days followed by a transitional period of 36 months of sharing
of power to be followed by a free and fair election open to all parties.
On
the other hand, the mechanisms of how the signatories will go about
improving the infrastructure and basic service in sectors that cater to
the day-to-day livelihood of citizens, is vaguely described in the
agreement with the rider that the parties are to appeal to the
international community for help.
Cementing the promises
But
Khartoum was just the beginning and the two leaders —who previously
allowed their personal differences and political ambitions to impede the
peace process — will be under pressure to deliver tangible peace in the
next two weeks.
The peace talks process is expected
continue until July 10. This means from Khartoum, the parties move to
Nouakchott in Mauritania on the side lines of the African Union (AU)
Summit next week, and finally head to Nairobi.
Rebecca
Nyandeng, the widow of the founding father of South Sudan Dr John
Garang, was optimistic about the talks, but other groups that felt left
out, such as civil society, religious groups, youth and women groups,
and other armed groups are demanding an all-inclusive process.
Peter
Ajak, the chairman of the South Sudan Young Leaders Forum, said that a
lasting peace agreement must be broad-based, but he believes that
solutions will not come from the political leaders but the South Sudan
citizens mobilising themselves to force peace.
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