The spokesman of the government delegation to the peace talks, Michael Makuei Lueth, says the government team needs the Security Matrix to be signed first, before attending committee discussions.

He said the government delegation presented this proposal to IGAD mediators, but they have not responded.

Mr Makuei blamed the mediators for not pressing the opposition to sign the Security Matrix.

“The IGAD said we will continue without you and we will continue to persuade you to come back and if you don’t come back then we will continue,” he told reporters yesterday.

“In a meeting attended by all of us, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin threatened the parties and said ‘if you don’t agree, then you should understand that there is a tsunami on the way, so you are advised to conform and abide by whatever we tell you,” Makuei said, referring to one of the IGAD mediators.

“To us, it is now clear that yes IGAD mediation is continuing and if the government does not attend, then it should be ready to face the tsunami,” he added.

Makuei said that the SPLM in Opposition is demanding the withdrawal of the Ugandan forces from the country before signing the security matrix.

He said the withdrawal of the Ugandan forces is not included in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

“They are not withdrawing from South Sudan because South Sudan is not the theatre of operations,” Makuei said.

The SPLM in Opposition says though it made proposals on their share in the transitional government, transitional economy and organized forces, the absence of the government from the thematic talks has made it difficult to make progress.