 |
|
Pagan Amum was
once a staunch ally of the president
|
South
Sudan is withdrawing the case against four top politicians accused of treason
that triggered the civil war, the justice minister has said.
The
four, who include a former leader of the governing SPLM party, denied plotting
a coup and also denied any links to the ongoing fighting.
Their
release had been a key demand of the rebels.
Some
one million people have been forced from their homes since fighting broke out
in December 2013.
Justice
Minister Paulino Wanawilla said that the case was being dropped in the interest
of peace and reconciliation. He said that the four would probably be released
by Friday.
'Significant
step'
The
charges carried the maximum sentence of death and related to an alleged coup
attempt on 15 December.
South
Sudan analyst James Copnall says this is a very significant step, because the
trial was seen as a stumbling block to the peace talks in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa.
In
addition to former Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) secretary general
Pagan Amum, ex-National Security Minister Oyai Deng Ajak was cleared, as were
former Defence Minister Majak D'Agoot and former ambassador to the US Ezekiel
Lol Gatkuoth.
In
addition to the treason charge, they were accused of inciting the army and
fuelling an insurgency in South Sudan, the world's newest state which became
independent in 2011.
Earlier
on Thursday, South Sudan President Salva Kiir sacked the head of the army
following recent rebel advances. No reason was given for the dismissal of Gen
James Hoth Mai.
Conflict
first broke out in the capital, Juba, between troops loyal to Mr Kiir and those
allied with his sacked deputy, Riek Machar.
It
later spread to other parts of South Sudan, with numerous reports of ethnic
killings.
Eleven
ex-officials were arrested in December, but seven of them were later released.
The
two sides signed a ceasefire agreement on 23 January, but sporadic fighting has
continued.
The
latest move comes amid worsening violence in South Sudan, with both sides
implicated in atrocities and war crimes.
Last
week, the United Nations accused the rebels of massacring hundreds of civilians
who sought refuge in a church, mosque and hospital, after capturing the oil hub
of Bentiu.
The
rebels, however, blame the retreating government forces for the killings. The
UN says it is now considering imposing sanctions on both sides.
Correspondents
say the Bentiu killings are among the most shocking since the conflict began.
No comments:
Post a Comment