The ongoing war in South Sudan has led this week to the signing of a new peace agreement in Addis Ababa, with the tripping off the tongue title Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The process was supposed to have ended in 2015 but ongoing breaches of the treaties by different parties involved in the conflict mean that the new accord has become necessary.
The problem with the previous agreement(s) was that they were brought into place with the help of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). You cannot mediate if you have an interest or are bias, even the appearance or suspicion of one side that you have bias can damage and ultimately prevent the whole mediation from working.
Uganda has influence on the IGAD and is involved by way of its own military intervention in 2014, Kenya likewise has significant influence on IGAD but sides with the South Sudanese government, by way of example they deported James Gatdet Dak of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition and the “disappearance” of activists Dong Samuel Luak, and Aggrey Idri, are the indisputable evidence.
Sitting on the IGAD are also the South Sudan President and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and as the methods and practices of the mediation team are guided by the IGAD the influence is plain to see.
Last November’s meeting of the IGAD in the Ivory Coast excluded any representation from Transitional Government of National Unity "TGoNU" and in their absence endorsed a consultation report submitted by the special envoy to South Sudan, Dr Ismail Wais. The report in itself followed a period of consultation by the mediation team and stakeholders which had not taken any soundings from Transitional Government of National Unity "TGoNU".
The result being that the interested parties are also influencers of the mediation process. There are many keys to success in a mediation one of them is always that as mediator you have to be able to detach yourself from any influence of the parties, without being cold or detached but remaining independent is a skill that takes some skill, that as our successes have proved Northwest Mediation’s mediators have, in abundance. We work with businesses and individuals, get to know them, understand them and their needs to help us to enable them to reach an agreement to resolve their dispute.
Impartiality and guaranteed confidentiality allow the mediators at Northwest Mediation to engage with parties to successful conclusions.
As well as keeping busy kidnapping the head of Interpol China has been increasing its role in international mediation.
Chinese state officials are now working in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Israel and Syria, preventing and resolving conflicts.
According to the state’s own releases by 2017 Chinese representatives were actively involved in mediating nine separate conflicts. Prior to Xi Jinping becoming General Secretary China was mediating in only three countries so as with many aspects of the modern world Beijing is looking to increase her influence.
We’ve mentioned before the Belt and Road Initiative and that seems to mark the change in China’s approach to international mediations, which, those skeptics among you may suggest, was just part of their efforts prior to the Beijing Games, to get as many into as many international pies and buy the kind of goodwill that such efforts provide (whether mediation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, or as we talk about above in Sudan and South Sudan).
Whatever the driving force behind the change in approach little doubt can be had that mediation is seen by all countries and cultures as the way forward.
Whilst Northwest Mediation isn’t currently involved in any international conflict mediations we can help you with your dispute.
Whether you need a commercial mediator in London, an employment mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighborhood mediation in the northwest, then our mediators at Northwest Mediation can help.
Mediation is cheaper, quicker and less stressful than running any case to court, it can help with any dispute whether it's an employment issue or the sale at an under value of a property, a fight with a neighbour, family issues, commercial disputes or inheritance arguments contact Northwest Mediation on 07931318347 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk
neighbour mediation; commercial dispute resolution; commercial dispute; corporate dispute; commercial mediator; family mediation; inheritance mediation; property mediator;