The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has called on all South Sudan warring factions to abide by the terms of the agreement negotiated for them by the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development, (IGAD).
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South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar, center-left with back to camera, shakes hands with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, center-right wearing a black hat, after lengthy peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. It remains unclear how the situation will play out between Juba and the international community in ending the war.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the signing of the deal by the rebel leader and expressed “his strong hope that President Kiir will sign the agreement by the end of the 15-day deadline”.
The United States has threatened sanctions if no deal is reached, adding to the pressure by announcing it was consulting with other countries on imposing United Nations sanctions on anyone who undermined the peace process.
During previous peace talks held in luxury Ethiopian hotels, Kiir, Machar and their entourages have run up millions of dollars in expenses while failing to sign a single lasting agreement.
At Monday’s summit in Ethiopia attended by regional powers and international mediators, South Sudan’s government initialled a draft agreement, but requested a further 15 days before signing in full.
Soon after the government came out against the peace deal, rebels claimed that government troops were attacking positions in Imatong in the southeastern part of the country. Mediators said rebel leader Riek Machar signed the accord.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the 20-month civil war.
Powerful rebel general Peter Gadet and other key commanders last week accused Machar of seeking power for himself, and said they would not recognise any deal agreed.
“The US deplores this failure of leadership”, it added.
Instead, he asked for 15 more days to consider it. His contention was that the peace agreement was not comprehensive enough to preclude either party reneging on it the following day as has been the case in the past.
South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into chaos in December 2013 when a political row between Kiir and his deputy Machar spiralled into armed conflict that reopened ethnic faultlines.
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The U.N. mission in the country says it is sheltering nearly 200,000 civilians on its bases.
