The U.S. government made announcement Friday regarding South Sudan, in which a government spokesperson warned both President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar against continuing their respective obstructions against the peace process.
Friday the National Security adviser for President Obama, Susan Rice, stated that both leaders must not involve their country in further violence. Rice warned each of the two politicians that they must alter their current actions.
“Mr. Machar, in particular, must commit to a cessation of hostilities without precondition,” Rice said about the rebel leader. “His continued insistence on the release of detainees as a pre-condition for a cessation of hostilities is unacceptable and runs counter to the express will of the detainees.”
Rice stated about the President of South Sudan, “The United States is disappointed that the detainees being held by the government of South Sudan have not yet been released. The United States reiterates its call upon President Salva Kiir to release the detainees immediately to the custody of IGAD so that they can participate in the political negotiations.”
Kiir has recently offered to involve the detained political leaders in the peace talks. Kiir offered to move the peace talks from Addis Abada to Juba, where the political prisoners would be allowed to participate in the negotiations. The prisoners would return to detainment after the days meeting. This offer was rejected by the rebels, even though the political prisoners themselves have stated that they did not require their own freedom.
By Day Blakely Donaldson
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