By Parach Mach
JUBA, South Sudan (AA) – The leaders of warring South Sudanese factions on Wednesday reached a partial power-sharing deal, which analysts believe only accommodate the political class and ignore the underlying factors that led to the five-year political deadlock that has plagued the country since 2013.
The preliminary deal came after several weeks of failed talks between President Salva Kiir's government, his former deputy Riek Machar and other minor opposition groups in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Edmond Yakani, a South Sudanese activist who heads The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), told Anadolu agency on Thursday that the agreed preliminary truce offers little to celebrate, adding that it neglected the root causes of the war.
“Some opposition groups walked out of the talks,” Yakani said.
The government and opposition loyal to Machar agreed to a governance framework and will see Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Army and other opposition groups to join the government in a 36-month transitional period leading to elections.
It was the latest of numerous regional efforts to find a political solution to the chaos plaguing the world’s youngest nation. But analyst said the deal risked being undermined by a feeling of being sidelined.
Michael Makuei, South Sudan’s information minister and spokesperson of the government delegation, said they have agreed to eventually streamline and merge their armed forces and other security entities.
“Under the agreement, the government takes 55 percent stake in the states and local government with Machar’s group trailing at 27 percent, and other political parties at 10 percent and 8 percent respectively,” Makuei said.
“This is historic, we have managed to iron out most of the outstanding issues and we will continue to agree on more and implement the agreement,” he added.
Makuei called on the international community particularly the U.S. and other Troika countries such Norway and the U.K. to support what he called “a great achievement “.
A major sticking point has been the number of states and their governance. Machar’s group rejected the current South Sudan’s 32 states, which the opposition blamed for the feuds and ethnic violence at the local levels. Government said the number of states should be decided through referendum.
Bishop Enock Tombe, leader of a faith-based group at the talks, said an independent commission comprising 15 South Sudanese and regional experts will be formed two weeks after the final agreement and would review the 32 states and their boundaries within three months.
It is not clear if this will hold and be respected by both parties or if the dispute will re-emerge later on, Bishop Enock said.
Accountability and reparations of the war victims have not been touched on, he added.
South Sudan’s warring sides have been accused of widespread abuses such as gang rapes against civilians, killings along ethnic lines and pockets of South Sudan officials on both sides have been accused by human rights groups of profiting from the conflict and derailing peace.
South Sudan's civil war broke out in December 2013, just two years after the country won independence from Sudan, and has continued despite repeated attempts at peace deals.
Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have fled to create the world’s third largest refugee crisis.
More than 2 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries and 6 million others still in the country are at the risk of famine, as the warring sides are blamed for obstructing desperately needed aid.
