Addis Ababa, November 11, 2015 (SSNA) — The Editor-in-Chief of the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) said Tuesday that the IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement which was signed by South Sudan’s warring factions in August is pregnant with what he branded as ‘noisy and thunderous’.
Duop Chak Wuol, the editor of the US-based SSNA, wrote a message on his Facebook wall, saying the recently signed peace pact is pregnant with a “noisy and thunderous baby.”
“The IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement is pregnant with a noisy, perhaps thunderous baby,” Duop wrote on his Facebook’s wall on Tuesday.
The Editor of the South Sudan News Agency declined to elaborate further when contacted by the SSNA, stating he has nothing to explain beyond the message he posted because he does not know the name of a baby he was referring to.
“There is absolutely nothing about the message that needs to be clarified. Again, I don’t have another description of my one day old message if that is what you are looking for,” Duop told the South Sudan News Agency.
“What I do know is that the baby will be a very noisy and thunderous one. But I have no idea about the date it will be delivered and certainly have no clue of what its name will be,” he declared.
Duop’s statement resembles views of most South Sudanese who believe that the implementation of power-sharing deal will determine the future of the violence-ravaged young nation.
His comment comes as South Sudan’s armed opposition led by Former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny prepares to send an advance team to Juba and nine other states to explain to the public the peace deal and its implementation.
However, the SSNA’s Editor asserts what appears to be recognition of how difficult it will be for the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar to work together for peace after nearly two years of armed conflict.
“Forcing two opposing groups who have a history of deep rivalry to live close to each other is a very tall gamble; but it is not impossible. For peace to prevail in South Sudan, the IGAD-Plus, African Union, and the international community must be active members of the implementation process,” he added.
“Remember, Salva Kiir and his political allies who planned the fake coup are still not happy because their infamous coup scheme has produced a different result,” he noticed.
Duop’s remarks appear to be a direct reference to what could happen if the warring sides refuse to implement the peace accord or fail to respect the recently signed “security arrangements” deal.
There is a general feeling among South Sudanese communities that the implementation of the IGAD-Plus brokered peace agreement will not be an easy task and that the international community must be vigilant and engaged to make sure the South Sudan’s rival groups implement the much-needed deal.
The internationally-backed accord is aimed to end the nearly two year old civil war after initial peace talks mediated by the East African regional bloc, IGAD, collapsed in early March.
Fighting broke out in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, in mid-December of 2013 between different units of presidential guards after months of political fracas between senior leaders of the ruling Sudan people’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed, more than two million South Sudanese fled their homes, and hundreds of thousands fled to the neighboring countries most of whom live in Ethiopia.