Judith Atim
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is the mediating body in the South Sudan conflict, has given the two warring parties a deadline of August 17th to sign a final peace agreement.
In the latest document, the power sharing in the national executive would be 53% of ministerial positions for the government, 33% for the opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), 7% for former detainees and 7% for other political parties.
In the oil-rich greater Upper Nile region, the SPLM-IO would have 53% in the three states of Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei, while the government would take 33% and 14% divided between former detainees and other political parties.
However, there will be No power sharing in the seven states of greater Bahr el Ghazal and greater Equatoria regions as government would take 100% in the two regions.
While the president shall be the executive head of state and chair the council of ministers, national defence council and national security council, the first vice president deputizes him and acts on his behalf in the event of absence.
The reviewed proposal is IGAD’s latest for a compromise between the two warring parties in order to end the 19-year long civil war in South Sudan.
A similar compromise position was issued in March this year but was rejected outright by the two parties.
The conflict that erupted in December 2013 pits President Salva Kiir’s government against the armed opposition faction led by former vice president, Riek Machar.
