South Sudan to Unveil Own Plan to End Conflict
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - South Sudan's government is due to unveil its own peace plan in the Ethiopian capital Addis Abbaba, just days after it refused to sign a regional plan to end the country's ongoing conflict.
Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan presidential spokesperson, will not offer any details of the peace plan but said President Salva Kiir is consulting leaders from all 10 states for guidance.
He reiterated his government's refusal to accept the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) plan.
"When we first received the IGAD proposal we were puzzled. This is not a proposal negotiated by the two parties. The role of the negotiators is to bridge the gap, not that the mediators come up with a peace plan," Ateny told Al Jazeera.
Ateny said that IGAD's plan, created by representatives from seven East African countries, did not allow either Kiir or his political opponent Riek Machar, a former vice president, to present their own proposals.
Ateny described the IGAD meetings in Addis Ababa as a "political conference".
"We can work together if we have the proper mechanism," he said.
The conflict in South Sudan began in December 2013, when clashes erupted between forces loyal to Kiir and those aligned to Machar.
Two million people have fled their homes to escape the conflict, with 100,000 forced to flee since May alone.
The struggle between the two sides has been dominated by war crimes, including widespread killings of civilians because of their ethnicity or perceived allegiances, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the international rights advocacy group.
