IGAD summit roots for accountability in war-torn S. Sudan

[Elisabeth Janaina]

IGAD summit roots for accountability in war-torn S. Sudan

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July 24, 2017 (JUBA) – Leaders attending the 58 extra-ordinary summit
in the South Sudan capital, Juba have vowed to prioritize
accountability in attempts to the long civil war in the young nation.

JPEG - 18.1 kb
An extraordinary session of the IGAD heads of states meeting in the
Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa (IGAD File photo)

While opening the summit on Monday, the chairman of the IGAD Council
of Ministers, Workneh Gebeyehu said that the summit would discuss the
implementation of the transitional justice, the truth and
reconciliation process and the reparation of victims in the conflict.

“Everyone that has committed atrocities and human rights abuses must
be held accountable, this is not going to be a business as usual, we
regional leaders must prioritize accountability so that it can achieve
lasting peace and avoid another cycle of destabilizing violence,” he
told the summit.

In December last year, the United Nations urged the African Union to
quickly establish the hybrid court for South Sudan to investigate and
prosecute those bearing criminal responsibility for the atrocities.

“The knowledge that accountability structures exist and will be
deployed against the perpetrators of mass atrocities can have real
preventive impact,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad
Al Hussein, told the Human Rights Council at a special session.

The proposed hybrid court, which will combine elements of both
domestic and international law and be composed of personnel from South
Sudan and abroad, is envisaged in the peace agreement signed by the
South Sudanese warring parties in August 2015.

The Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of
South Sudan (ARCSS), the Government of the Republic of South Sudan,
the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) and
other stakeholders formally committed to the establishment of the HCSS
“by the AUC to investigate and prosecute individuals bearing criminal
responsibility for violations of international law and/or applicable
South Sudanese law committed from 15 December 2013 through the end of
the transitional period.”

The IGAD special envoy to South Sudan, Ismail Wais said establishing a
hybrid court was the best option for ending South Sudan’s conflict.

“Without peace in South Sudan, there can be no peace in the region, so
this continued fighting worries regional leaders,” he said.

South Sudan’s government say hybrid court will undermine peace,
insisting that it needed time to achieve peace at the expense of
justice for victims of atrocities committed during the nation’s
conflict.

South Sudan became an independent country on 9 July 2011 after decades
of war, lengthy negotiations and a referendum to secede from Sudan.
Two and a half years later, in December 2013 armed conflict broke out
between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those allied to his
deputy Riek Machar.

In August 2015, the two parties agreed a peace deal and later formed a
transitional unity government with President Kiir at the helm and
Machar as one of his two deputies.

Renewed fighting broke out in July 2016 with heavy clashes in the
capital Juba and other parts of the country. Machar has since been
replaced as first Vice President and fled the country.

About 2.6 million South Sudanese have fled their homes since the
outbreak of fighting in 2013, with some 1.6 million internally
displaced and another one million living as refugees in neighbouring
countries.

(ST)

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25 July 07:37, by dinkdong

All talk . . .

repondre message
25 July 09:29, by Ayuiu Makuac Lam

Let IGAD and AU countries accept their fail on South Sudan
crises instead to come and drink soda and whisky in the capital.

repondre message
25 July 07:42, by Eastern

IGAD Summits are talking shops...

repondre message
25 July 09:49, by South South

Eastern,

HUM!!!!!!!!

repondre message
25 July 07:45, by Midit Mitot

“Everyone that has committed atrocities and human rights abuses
must be held accountable, this is not going to be a business as usual,
meaning that South Sudan civil war is business to the world, shit!!!

repondre message
25 July 13:48, by Sunday Junup

Midiit Mitot,

You hit the nail on top. IGAD knows that they were doing business

repondre message
25 July 10:16, by James

I stress! the crisis in South Sudan can only be resolved by South
Sudanese not by the crippled IGAD or AU. Those who are in Addis or New
York have their own business. Who can tell me the difference of IGAD
and the foreign ministry of Ethiopia? Regime change in South Sudan is
the primary objective and the mission is given to IGAD and AU by their
masters in the West...

repondre message
25 July 10:24, by James

I hope by now South Sudanese have realized the four front lines of
the states of Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia each have their
interests in the country

repondre message
25 July 12:12, by Tilo

South Sudan’s government say hybrid court will undermine peace,
insisting that it needed time to achieve peace at the expense of
justice for victims of atrocities.

I don’t really understand how can Hybrid Court undermine peace?

Of cause SS is a usual business for the region and west at large.
S. Sudanese need to wake up otherwise the region will continue
playing SS till all the resource’s done

repondre message
25 July 17:38, by lino

South Sudanese leaders forgot that their mismanagement,
corruptions, and civil wars are business to others. I am not sure why
they fought the Northern Arab Muslims in the first place and turned
the guns on themselves.
SPLM/A under Gen. Kiir Mayardiit is a complete mess and failure!!!
If he would have resigned as soon as independent achieved, he would
have preserved a great and historical legacy.

repondre message
25 July 17:39, by lino

Let us wait and hear what history books will say about him!!!

repondre message
26 July 00:13, by JUR ATHÏT

IGAD and AU have totally failed to bring peace to south sudan but
they have succeed to suck our oil. God help SS.

repondre message
26 July 00:22, by JUR ATHÏT

Riek Machar is responsible for this mess. He fooled Nuer youth and
use them against any tribe.