President Salva Kiir Mayardit last week Thursday lashed at the framers of the 2018 peace agreement saying they messed up the arrangements through the inclusion of five vice-presidential positions.

Talking to a Kenyan TV station, President Kiir said the arrangement was makeshift and something quite unheard of in any dispensation.

While many people who are well knowledgeable in South Sudanese politics may trace the power genesis of the power arrangements, for starters, it sounds ridiculous to have five centres of power below the president.

South Sudan languished in the war for seven years necessitating a ceasefire approach that would bring inclusivity.

The country descended into war in December 2013, two years after it gained independence in July 9, 2011. The war claimed approximately 50,000 lives and sent close to 4 million into displacement camps both; within and in neighbouring countries.

Negotiation

But in 2014, the leaders immediately went to negotiation table to end the war they believed was a result of dispute over the leadership of ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) that spilled from the 2015 peace agreement.

The 2015 peace agreement did not last. In July 20, 2016, violence erupted again in Juba shortly when President Salva Kiir’s main rival Dr. Riek Machar came to capital, Juba, to assume his position as the First Vice President in accordance with the agreement.

This took the country back to where parties had to go back to the negotiating table to revitalise the deal by making it inclusive to involve more than 20 political parties. It also roped in civil society organizations, youth and women groups and faith-based members.

In September 2018, the agreement was revitalised to end the power wrangles among leaders by creating positions of five vice presidents, the first of its kind in the world according to President Kiir.

Kiir said his leadership had no option but to buy peace for the people of South Sudan to resettle and rebuild their livelihoods in the young nation and that the agreement should be implemented.

“We have five vice presidents which is not there anywhere in the world. It is because we were buying peace, and that is why we accepted all these five vice presidents,” said President Kiir in an interview with Kenyan Citizen TV a few days before South Sudan’s tenth independence anniversary.

The 2018 peace agreement has been referred to by many as President Kiir’s willingness to accept peace at all cost as was shown even early in 2016 when he incorporated thousands of militias that fought alongside Arabs into South Sudan organised forces.

Most of Chapter Two of the security arrangement, including training, graduation and redeployment of 83, 000 necessary unified forces have remained outstanding with most of the forces deserting the training centres and cantonment sites.

But the country’s efforts to fully implement the provision has been hindered by the recent renew arms embargo, according to President Kiir who promised everything will be done as demanded by the peace accord.

However, some members of the warring parties, including of Kiir’s SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO of Dr Riek Machar, said the 2018 revitalised agreement was imposed that made it difficult to implement, Kiir stressed that the deal must be implemented to restore the hope of his citizens.

“The agreement must be implemented because this is the only hope of the people of South Sudan, and if there is anybody against the implementation of the agreement then people should ask that person,” said Kiir “Why did I accept the five vice presidents. Does any country have?”