IGAD has made a new power sharing proposal to the warring parties. The document gives the government 53%.

The SPLM in Opposition, the former political detainees and other political parties will share the remaining 47%. The government and the SPLM in Opposition have confirmed the proposal.

In response, the UK ambassador to South Sudan has welcomed the proposal.

“I think that in the end an agreement will have to have to be an agreement. In another words, the parties will have to close the gap and agree what they are going to do next,” Amb Tim Morris.

“And one personal observation is that the actual numbers involved of the proportions if they are agreed to are no full solution; the full solution is stopping fight right away across the country and at the ending of the suffering of the people of south Sudan.”

For his part, SPLM-IO chief negotiator Taban Deng says:

“If you talk of power sharing, it is giving Salva Kiir 53% of the power. This entails maintaining the status quo and it is talking of preserving the same national assembly.”

If you come to states, there is nothing about Bahr el-Ghazal, there is nothing about Greater Equatoria. So, we believe there are a lot of shortcomings in the proposal. It doesn’t address the security arrangement fully.”