South Sudan Peace Talks in Turmoil: Vice President Alleges New Draft Aims to Replace 2018 Deal

South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, claims that ongoing peace talks in Kenya are disregarding the 2018 peace agreement. He asserts that the new draft agreement aims to replace existing institutions. Despite violence continuing, current discussions include groups not part of the 2018 deal, with a new draft extending the transitional period.

South Sudan's vice president, Riek Machar, has raised serious concerns over the current peace talks being held in Kenya, alleging that they ignore the 2018 peace agreement. In a protest letter to the mediator on Thursday, Machar stated that the draft agreement proposes new institutions that could undermine or replace those established by the original deal.

Despite the 2018 agreement signed by Machar and President Salva Kiir, which ended a five-year civil war that claimed approximately 400,000 lives, violence persists in South Sudan, largely due to rebel and ethnic conflicts. Machar's faction is excluded from the ongoing talks, meant for groups not included in the previous agreement.

The body overseeing the 2018 deal's implementation expressed concerns in May about the slow progress on election preparations with the December elections looming. Meanwhile, the ongoing talks in Kenya have led to a draft proposal suggesting an extension of the transitional period to allow more time for proper election arrangements. Government representatives have indicated that a final agreement is near, according to a recent progress report delivered to President Kiir.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)