Taban Deng and Nhial Deng.

Efforts to form Monitoring and Verification Teams who will oversee the cessation of hostilities agreement have suffered a setback.

The SPLM/SPLA –in Opposition has rejected the document on the formation of monitoring teams as, it says, it includes all areas under their control but it does not include some areas under the control of the government.

On Monday, IGAD presented a document which outlines areas in which the Monitoring and Verification Teams will be deployed.

Michael Makuei Lueth told Eye Radio on behalf of the government delegation that their representative in the Joint Technical Committee has signed the agreement.

He says its rejection by Dr. Riek Machar’s group is slowing down the formation of the Monitoring and Verification Teams.

“The delay has initially been from the envoys: the envoys did not abide by and operationalize the cessation of hostilities agreement. It was only last week we sent in our military people to come and negotiate with the military people on the other party under the chairperson of the Joint Technical Committee. Up to Monday, a document was prepared. Unfortunately the rebels rejected to sign that document for operationalization of the cessation of hostilities, and this was simply because the sites that have been chosen –where the Monitoring and Verification Teams will be stationed –included Nasir, and the rebels are against the presence of the Monitoring and Verification Teams in Nasir. So based on that, they refused to sign the document; however, our team has signed the document. So the ball is now in the court of the rebels. They are supposed to sign this document so that we operationalize the monitoring and verification mechanism,” he said.

Mr Makuei urged IGAD mediators to put pressure on Dr. Machar’s group to sign the document on the operationalization of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

The spokesperson of the SPLM/SPLA –in Opposition, Hussein Maar Nyuat, told Eye Radio that they did not sign the document because it includes all areas under their control but it does not include some areas under the control of the government.

“We did not sign simply because initially we agreed on four areas which are: Juba, Bor, Malakal and Bentiu in the first round of peace talks. With the pressure from the government, they brought in Akobo. After long discussions, we said ok, we should not break up talks because of this, let Akobo be part of it. We stopped there. They went to Juba, they went to Nasir, and when they came back they told us they are including Nasir. We said: What is the purpose of the monitoring team there? They said this is to oversee the movement of troops, routes of supply, any mobilization, humanitarian access and the rest. We said if this is the case, you need to put some people in Nimule, because Museveni’s army comes through Nimule with all the tanks and the rest so treat us fairly. Put a team in Nimule and one in Nasir, and that is fine. What is it that they want to see in Nasir? Ethiopia does not even help us. But you can put a team in Nimule or in Kaya, because in Nimule the Ugandans come with their tanks and their infantry. So we told them we need time for consultations. After consultations, we will get back to them,” he said.

Hussein Maar Nyat said he hopes his side will present their response by the end of this week.

Both sides have already proposed members to the Joint Technical Teams who will foresee the establishment of the Monitoring and Verification teams.