Rights body urges UN not to recognize national dialogue

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Rights body urges UN not to recognize national dialogue

The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), a human rights entity in South
Sudan, has urged the United Nations General Assembly not to recognize
President Kiir’s national dialogue as a forum to bring about peace in
the country.

David Shearer, the head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told
reports last week that the UN meeting would assess the current
humanitarian situation and try to find a political settlement in South
Sudan.

CPJ's Coordinator Tito Anthony said in a statement extended to Radio
Tamazuj today that the national dialogue will never achieve peace,
saying the initiative was meant to blackmail armed opposition groups.

"The UN General Assembly should not look at the National Dialogue as a
tool for peace because it is a one-side dialogue which favours the
government and its allied parties, leaving out the armed opposition
groups that are fighting the regime,” said Tito.

"The only way to achieve peace is through recommitment to the signed
peace agreement and to incorporate other armed parties which were not
parties to it,” he added.

The rights defender urged the international community to recognize the
revitalization process as a forum to achieve peace and stability in
the country. “The National Dialogue could be used later if the parties
are back to implement the peace deal,” he said.