S. Sudan's Rivals To Meet İn Tanzania İn 2 Weeks

The warring camps within South Sudan's ruling Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) have reiterated their commitment to dialogue to settle their differences and agreed to meet in Tanzania within two weeks.



"The parties acknowledge a collective responsibility for the crisis in South Sudan that has taken a great toll on the lives and property of our people," they said in a joint communiqué issued late Monday.



"The parties also acknowledge that dialogue, rules and procedures are the only means to resolve internal differences and lack of consensus over important party issues among SPLM leaders," they added.



The communiqué was signed by the SPLM rivals at the conclusion of a plenary session of talks attended by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and the latter's former vice-president, Riek Machar.



The meeting was sponsored by Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.



"The parties commit themselves to an agenda and timelines for a follow up meeting scheduled to take place within a fortnight with the aim of expediting the process with utmost efficiency, determination and commitment," the communiqué read in part.



The rival factions had participated in a week-long dialogue, which began in Arusha on October 12 behind closed doors.



South Sudan, which became the world's newest nation in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, descended into bloodshed late last year following an alleged coup attempt against Kiir by Machar.



Hundreds of thousands of people have since lost their lives, while more than 1.7 million have been displaced by the conflict.



In recent months, South Sudan's warring camps have held on-again, off-again peace talks in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), a Djibouti-based East African regional bloc.



-Committed-



In their final communiqué, the SPLM rivals recognize that the Arusha process "is essentially an intra-SPLM dialogue and is separate and distinct from the IGAD-mediated peace talks."



"Yet the parties are fully aware that the two processes, although separate, are mutually reinforcing," read the communiqué.



They thanked Kiir and Machar for agreeing to the initiative and sending high level delegations to the dialogue.



"It is my view that we have both realized the effects of using military forces to resolve our conflicts," Machar told the meeting.



"Now it is our opportunity to use diplomacy to solve our differences," he said.



"We should not let go this unique and golden chance of dialogue we have been given by our sisters and brothers from Tanzania," added Machar.



President Kiir also expressed his commitment to the peace talks.



"We are committed to end these differences through peaceful dialogue," he said.



"We are very committed and we will not be the ones to make any obstacle in this process," vowed Kiir.



Tanzanian President Kikwete reiterated his country's commitment to see South Sudanese enjoy the independent they had gained in 2011 after decades of civil war.



"We will do whatever is in our efforts to facilitate and coordinate peace talks in order to give you a chance to dialogue and come to end of your differences," he promised them.



By Peter Saramba Ongiri



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Arusha