United Nations chief scolds South Sudan leader over war

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged South Sudan yesterday not to “betray and disappoint” the global community after its president promised to implement a faltering peace deal created to end civil war.

The USA and the global Monetary Fund are discussing a rescue package for South Sudan to help rebuild the economy after nearly two years of war, a U.S. envoy said.

He added, Therefore, I am determined to stop this senseless war and make sure that, together with my brothers in the armed opposition, we will build a democratic, united and harmonious country by implementing the agreement. “I sincerely count on your leadership”, Ban said shortly after President Salva Kiir addressed the high-level meeting at the United Nations by video link.

Despite the signing of a peace deal last month, conflict has continued. The social fabric of South Sudan has been shattered.

This violates the terms of a peace deal signed last month between Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, which stated that all foreign troops are supposed to leave the country.

“The ceasefire is not holding, I agree with President Salva on that”, he said.

But most of the dates mentioned by Mr. Kiir were before either he and Machar ordered their forces to lay down arms and observe a ceasefire.

“The horror has been going on for far too long and we understand now that the people of South Sudan support this agreement fully”. Furthermore, the agreement acknowledges that mass violations of human rights have taken place during the war. “The unity of our people is dependent on the implementation of this agreement”, he said.

“History will judge you harshly if you do not”. Many South Sudanese have never read the agreement or heard any detailed explanation of what it says.

“The basic issue is, I would say, trust; there has to be trust between the signatories, between the Government and Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLM (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement) in Opposition and the former detainees who were represented by Pagan Amum at this meeting”, he said.

“South Sudan’s leaders have a chance to correct their grave mistakes and focus on the well-being of the people of South Sudan. But now there are reasons to doubt that”. Also, both sides attended a conference on security arrangements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Angola’s Minister of External Relations, Georges Rebelo Chicoti, said at the special United Nations meeting that sanctions would “be counterproductive and would risk exacerbating the situation”.

The formation of the court would provide an “African solution” to the allegations, the AU said, as South Sudan does not recognize the global Criminal Court at The Hague, in the Netherlands.