Madrid 13 (Europa Press) –
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has demanded on Wednesday the liberation of the allies of the former rebel leader and now first vice president of South Sudan, Riek Machar, warning that his detention runs the risk of derailing the peace agreement of the African country, in the middle of the climb of tensions.
The regional bloc has urged the Government of Salva Kiir to free the detainees unless there are “credible evidence” that justify legal procedures carried out “in a transparent way and in accordance with due process,” according to a statement issued after an emergency virtual summit led by Yibuti president, Ismail Omar Guelléh.
Thus, he has asked the parties to “immediately reduce the tensions, adhere and respect the permanent fire, and prioritize and expedite the application of transient security agreements, providing the necessary resources in a timely manner”, in reference to the agreement reached in 2018 by the Kiir and Machar.
The IGAD has condemned the violence and has ordered its surveillance body of Alto El Fuego that investigates the confrontations recorded in recent weeks in Nasir County, and the attack against a United Nations helicopter. It has also proposed to deploy a ministerial team in the Sursudanese capital, Yuba, to evaluate stagnant peace conversations and boost an inclusive dialogue.
The agency, which has praised the calls for calm after violence, has expressed its “deep concern” for the violations of the high fire, has requested an accelerated unification of the Armed Forces and the drafting of a Constitution. It also stressed that the stability of the country depends on the implementation of backward reforms. “Dialogue and discussion are still the only means to solve differences,” he added.
Kiir promulgated in September last year an amendment to the Constitution of 2011 to extend another two years the transition period, a measure criticized by the international community. Despite the decline in violence due to political conflict in recent years, the country has registered an increase in intercommune confrontations and still does not materialize some of the transition promises, including to give the population for the first time the right to go to the polls to choose their leaders.
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