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Update: S. Sudan president signs peace deal, warns it could collapse

Xinhua, August 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday signed a peace deal proposed by the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development in Africa (IGAD) to end the violence in the new-born state, but warned that it could collapse.

Kiir signed the deal in presence of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in addition to diplomats and media representatives in the South Sudanese capital Juba, saying that he had reservations about some items of the document and mechanisms of its implementation.

"The current peace we are signing today has so many things we have to reject," said Kiir when addressing the signing ceremony.

He further warned against the collapse of the deal on which Juba has reservations, namely with regard to power-sharing.

"Such reservations if ignored would not be in the interest of just and lasting peace," he noted.

The IGAD's proposed peace document granted the current government a majority in the legislature, the position of president and 53 percent of ministerial portfolios.

It further proposed for the rebels a new position of first vice president and 33 percent of ministerial portfolios, while the remaining 14 percent was allotted for the other opposition groups.

However, with regard to the major war-affected areas of the Greater Upper Nile region (Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity States) the document suggested 53 percent to go to the rebels and 33 for the current government.

Juba rejected the shares proposed for the three areas, which are the major oil producing states in South Sudan.

Last week Riek Machar, leader of South Sudan's major rebel group, signed the IGAD proposed peace deal with the Secretary General of the ruling party, Pagan Amum, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but President Kiir refused to sign and demanded a two-week extension.

South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013 when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy Machar.

The conflict soon turned into an all-out war, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension, pitting president Dinka's tribe against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The clashes killed thousands of South Sudanese and forced around 1.9 million individuals to flee their homes. Endit