Information Minister Michael Makuei | File photo.

The Spokesperson of the government delegation to the South Sudan talks in Ethiopia, Information Minister Michael Makuei has said IGAD has breached the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement by excluding the two parties from the monitoring mechanism.

Michael Makuei said IGAD has left out the key owners of the peace talks from the monitoring of the Cessation of Hostilities.  “the IGAD has decided to go ahead and sent in a team of nine to the exclusion of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the rebels.”

The Spokesperson also blamed IGAD and AU for going back on its word regarding Uganda’s intervention in South Sudan.

“IGAD in its communiqué of 27 December supported the role being played by Uganda in South Sudan and this is very clearly stated in their communiqué. The very members of IGAD today are the ones who have turned their back on Uganda and saying what Uganda is doing is not good. Meanwhile, they have not reversed their communiqué. The African Union also supported the role of Uganda”

South Sudan Government Spokesperson, Michael Makuei said all the parties to the talks are already at the designated venue waiting for the IGAD mediators to signal resumption of the talks.

However, the representative of the SPLM/A in opposition in the monitoring and verification team, Gatkoi Galwak told Eye Radio by phone that both the Government and the opposition are part of the monitoring team.

He contradicted Makuei’s claim saying that the government representative who is the defence attaché in South Sudan Embassy in Ethiopia, showed up for one meeting and did not return indicating lack of interest from the Government.