This archive report was first published on 7 December 2019.
South Sudan's peace talks have hit a snag, with the government's proposal to increase the number of states from 32 to 40 or 55 throwing a spanner in the works.
According to sources, the negotiations, which were chaired by South African Vice-President David Mabuza and attended by Intergovernmental Authority on Development special envoy Ismail Wais, had aimed to resolve the issue of states and boundaries within 10 days.
However, the talks ended in a stalemate, with the government refusing to budge from its proposal, despite the SPLM-IO's suggestion to move upwards from 10 states and the government's suggestion to move downwards from 32 states.
When questioned on the rationale behind the government's proposal, officials cited a 'false narrative' of taking towns to people without reference to boundaries, governance structure, and economic feasibility.
The SPLM-IO, on the other hand, argued that sticking to 10 states was based on the agreement and that the country was facing economic collapse and did not need more states.
By 6pm, the facilitators attempted to reconcile the two positions, proposing 21 states as a compromise, but the government stuck to its original proposal of 32 states, resulting in a stalemate.
