Participants follow a session during the peace negotiations in Addis Ababa - Jan 2014

South Sudan’s civil society organizations have expressed hope for fruitful and inclusive negotiations that will lead to durable peace in their country.

Speaking during yesterday’s official opening of the second round of South Sudan’s negotiations, Bishop Taban Tor from South Sudan Council of Churches and representing 14 civil society organizations read out a message to the negotiating parties and the IGAD mediators:

“This message is simple: we want comprehensive peace in our beloved land, we are tired of war,” read the letter.

“A number of issues that the Church believes are pertinent include governance and democratic institutions, strong political parties, reform of organized forces, Constitution, education, accountability, resource allocation and management, truth, reconciliation and healing, inclusive dialogue, to seek honest views from all sectors of society.”

The Chairman of IGAD Assembly of Heads of States, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, backed this call for inclusivity in the political dialogue to make peace and reconciliation in South Sudan sustainable:

“It’s my hope and expectation that the peace process will be designed in such a way that a broad range of South Sudanese stakeholders from government, political parties and civil society actors are brought on board in a manner that gives due respect to the transitional constitutional arrangement already in place in South Sudan.”

The Prime Minister appealed to South Sudan negotiators to approach the second round of talks with maturity and wisdom for the peace process to be successful.

“As leaders of a movement that gave birth to the young nation, you are expected to transcend the petty squabbles and spur-of-the-moment decisions that so often stand in the way of success,” said PM Desalegn.

“Leadership, after all, is about making choices, however hard those might be, in the pursuit of a much larger interest and a nobler goal.

“No goal, I am sure you will agree with me, is nobler and no interest more important than saving a young nation and its peace-loving people from falling through the cracks and instead giving them another shot in state-building which they so richly deserve.”

For his part, Deputy Chairman of the AU Commission, Erastus Muencha saidd that the AU is working towards establishing the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the human rights violations that occurred during the crisis and commended both sides for expressing commitment to work with the Commission.