Preparatory talks in Addis Ababa for a meeting of the Political Bureau of South Sudan’s ruling party SPLM have failed to start, stalling an intra-party reconciliation initiative.

The SPLM intra-party talks were intended to run parallel to the direct government-opposition peace talks, with involvement by Political Bureau members associated to both of the main factions, the one led by Salva Kiir and the other by Riek Machar.

Members of the ‘group of seven’, the former SPLM detainees, would also have joined the talks. These politicians associated themselves with Riek Machar prior their detention but since their release announced themselves as a third bloc.

Luka Biong, a former cabinet minister and now Global Fellow at Peace Research Institute of Oslo, described the SPLM internal reconciliation as ‘stalled.’

“It seems there is resistance in Juba to the initiative of President Salva for internal reconciliation within the SPLM,” he said, declining to name those whom he said were opposing the president’s initiative.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Monday, he emphasized that the lack of progress on the party talks could negatively affect the direct bilateral talks between the government and opposition scheduled to resume on 20 March.

“My sense is that the IGAD negotiations here may not lead to a quick resolution of the crisis,” said the former minister. “I feel it would have been good if there were to be a parallel internal engagement of SPLM to address its own internal issues.”

Puot Kang Chol, one of the representatives of the 16-member negotiating team of the SPLM/A in Opposition, likewise described the lack of progress on the initiative, saying that that the treason trial in Juba prevented his delegation from participating. 

Neither the head of the delegation, Taban Deng Gai, nor the widow of John Garang, Rebecca Nyandeng, who were both members of the pre-crisis SPLM Political Bureau, will participate in the reconciliation meeting, he said.

“On our side, we are saying we will not participate in that meeting, especially someone like Comrade Taban or Mama Nyandeng will not participate in that meeting because if it is an SPLM meeting, then there is a need for secretary-general of SPLM to be present,” said Puot, referring to Paga’n Amum Okiech, who is on trial for treason.

“He must be released to that he participate in this meeting… the secretary-general is still under bars. So we are saying we are not going to participate in this meeting until these people are released. And if they are released of course we will be ready to participate in that meeting,” he added.

No delegates from Juba

The opposition delegation led by Taban Deng Gai have yet to meet any SPLM Political Bureau members dispatched from Juba, according to Puoch.

“From the Kiir side, we never met them. I don’t think they came to Addis,” he said, also confirming that there was no contact between their delegation and the Kiir delegation when the latter visited Addis Ababa for the IGAD Heads of State Summit last Thursday.

For his part, Luka Biong confirmed that Kiir has not yet sent any of the Political Bureau members from Juba: “He did not send any person. There are forces that are actually stalling the whole exercise, which I find very disappointing.”

But he affirmed that the initial reports on the SPLM initiative were reliable, saying, “The president committed to the matter of internal reconciliation.”

Although denied at least in part by presidential spokesman Ateny Wek on 10 March, the initiative was reportedly confirmed by one of Kiir’s associates and political bureau member Daniel Awet, the online daily Sudan Tribune reported.

According to Luka Biong, Vice President James Wani Igga likewise confirmed the initiative, as did the IGAD mediation after direct discussions with President Kiir.

Separately, the South African ruling party dispatched a delegation to Ethiopia to join in facilitation of the intra-party talks, confirming their role in the planned meetings. The ANC delegation met last week with key principals of the SPLM/A opposition faction including Alfred Lado Gore, Taban Deng and Rebecca Nyandeng.

But the talks were supposed to be broader and include all parties. Explaining the delayed start of the initiative, Luka Biong said, “There are some certain group of people who are trying to obstruct and to sabotage this. In Addis everything was prepared in order to have the meeting here in Addis.”

“Again we are not surprised for such a thing to happen, because there are some forces against any resolution of the conflict,” he said. “We are sure there are some people deliberately trying to stall and sabotage any progress on the talks, and we are very concerned about these individuals who are trying to derail the process for any healing process and addressing the crisis. It is very unfortunate.”

Government minister dismisses mediation ‘red line’

Michael Makuei, a government minister, is on record as opposing any SPLM reconciliation meeting in Addis Ababa. Upon his return from negotiations there earlier this month he said, “Issues of SPLM are not discussed outside the country.”

Makuei also lashed out at the mediators saying that the government delegation opposed the inclusion of the third bloc of ‘SPLM former detainees’ in the talks: “We refused, we demanded from the envoys that these people should not be included.”

He went on to describe the collapse of the last round of talks as linked to the issue whether the SPLM former detainees should be engaged in the process or not: “Instead the envoys insisted and told us that was a red line. So we said if that is the red line, then you can continue and sign with the rebels if you so wish.”

“Anyway, based on that, the envoys yesterday decided to call off the meeting until for further consultations,” Makuei said in remarks in Juba on 3 March.

The same official in an interview with Al Jarida newspaper published in Khartoum on Monday insisted there would not be talks with the ‘group of seven,’ a reference to the formerly detained SPLM leaders. The paper reported that he “denied the formation of a new committee for negotiations with the group of seven that is headed by the former minister of cabinet affairs Deng Alor.”

The Seven and The Four

In spite of the government’s refusal to deal with them, members of the SPLM third bloc have remained in Ethiopia ahead of the coming peace talks. Puot Kang Chol confirmed continuing dialogue between the SPLM/A in Opposition and the SPLM former detainees, referring to several recent meetings with them.

He noted, however, that as of last Thursday not all of ‘the seven’ were still in Addis Ababa but only those who are members of Political Bureau, namely John Luk, Deng Alor, and Kosti Manibe.

“We all say that their participation (in the peace talks) is crucial, we all acknowledge that – including Kiir team, they have signed that document,” he said, making reference to the Agreement on the Status of Detainees.  

He emphasized, “It is their choice to stand as a bloc, it is there choice to either join us or to join Kiir,” affirming moreover that the trial of the four still detained members of the bloc “is undermining the peace process in South Sudan.”

Likewise, Luka Biong stated, “I think the stumbling block I’m seeing ahead of us also is the issue of the detainees, the four detainees now on trial.” He added, “The trial of these people is going to divide the nation, and is going to stall the negotiation.”

Luka Biong further said he does not think any of the seven former detainees will go back to Juba to answer a court summons: “I think it’s a leverage, especially a certain group of people they use this leverage in order to intimidate even the seven.”

The seven were released ‘on bail,’ according to prosecutors. But the IGAD mediators who secured their release first to Kenya say their involvement in the peace talks is critical.

Peace talks ‘futile’ without SPLM 

“In Addis now we don’t have that path of looking into the SPLM. Whatever we’ll be discussing here in Addis without looking into the issue of SPLM will be quite futile, and it will not have any real issues, because even if you discuss issues of the transition and the institutional reforms and policy reforms, you have to have a body, a governing body that will be implementing whatever agreement you agreed upon, and that one is the SPLM, in one way or another,” said Luka Biong.

“I think it is for the benefit of the country and it is for the benefit of the SPLM, because eventually it has to happen that the SPLM should look into itself in order to reconcile some of the outstanding issues that led to the national crisis that is costing so many lives and enormous human suffering,” he concluded.

Photo: President Salva Kiir (Reuters)

Related coverage:

SPLM seven asked to appear before treason court (12 March)

Jacob Zuma dispatches deputy to facilitate SPLM talks (7 March)

SPLM/A opposition welcomes Political Bureau meeting (6 March)

SPLM internal reconciliation initiative aims to move stalled South Sudan peace talks (5 March)