Will Salva Kiir release political detainees?

{Regional Governments met to discuss the end of conflicts in South Sudan, a three year old country that won its independence from North Sudan.}

South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir has been urged by his counterparts to agree peace talks with his rival former vice president Riek Machar accused of planning to overthrow President Salva Kiir.

Meanwhile there were media reports about the Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni who warned Riek Machar showing that if the later continues with his military action against South Sudan, regional country will collaborate to defeat him.

Despite the warnings, Riek Machar’s army wing “White fighters” captured different cities from South Sudan’s forces and there were other reported information about someone unknown from outside who is supporting “White fighters”.

Since the outbreak of the conflicts, western countries and some African countries started to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan including Americans Citizens who were first informed about the escalation of conflicts in South Sudan.

{{Now, Will Salva Kiir release political detainees?}}

The Obama administration has urged the South Sudan government to release allies of Riek Machar.

A State Department spokeswoman said at a press briefing Monday that the US does not view the detainees as alleged coup plotters but as “political detainees” who should be freed to take part in peace talks underway in Ethiopia.

“We do believe that to be meaningful and productive, senior SPLM members currently detained in Juba need to be present for discussions on political issues which are happening in Addis,” said spokeswoman Marie Harf.

“To help move these talks forward, we urge the government of South Sudan to uphold its commitments and release political detainees immediately,” Ms Harf added.

That stance puts Washington at odds with Juba, which relies heavily on US political and economic support. And by calling for the release of the imprisoned Machar allies, the US has put its weight behind a key demand of the rebels battling Kiir’s forces.

A South Sudan government spokesman had said in Addis on Sunday that the detainees would not be released.

““There is no way we can be asked to release people who are arrested and charged,” Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters. Freeing the detainees would set a “bad precedent,” he declared.