As the South Sudan peace talks resumed in Addis Ababa on December 16, the rebels officially declared themselves a political resistance movement pushing for political and economic reforms.

The SPLM-in-Opposition also declared Dr Riek Machar the leader and the commander-in-chief of the rebel-held territories after their one-week conference in Pagak, near the Ethiopia border.

Sources privy to the new developments told The EastAfrican that the rebels, who were caught unawares when the war broke out on December 15, 2013, and have been fighting without a clear chain of command, will now have a structured force, a chain of supplies and an ideology based on reforming South Sudan’s institutions.

The SPLM-in-Opposition, when launching their agenda, said the “country has now become a police state characterised by disappearances and assassination of dissenting voices and emasculated state institutions.”

The warring parties settled for Phase III of the South Sudan peace process by tabling their respective resolutions for final discussions after the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) mediator gave them time for consultation, despite their having missed the November 28 deadline.

“It is my fervent wish that this Christmas season brings peace to South Sudan, and that the leaders of the country ensure that this is the last year of unnecessary suffering for their people,” said Igad chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin at the opening of the session on Wednesday.

READ: South Sudan's descent into horror as civil war enters 2nd year

However, the resolutions of the two parties have not bridged the differences between them, as concerns rise that both sides have been arming and preparing for an all-out war during the dry season should the peace talks fail. So far, the two parties have only agreed on power-sharing in the proposed Transitional Government of National Unity, but remain far apart on the structure and positions in government.

Even after the Igad deadline of November 28 passed, the mediators have continued to give the warring parties more time for consultation because no country in the region is willing to impose sanctions as yet.

President Salva Kiir convened a one-day conference at Bilpam Military Barracks near Juba Airport on November 24, attended by Vice-President James Iga, Cabinet ministers, governors, Speaker and Members of  Parliament, representatives of independent commissions, civil society organisations, traditional leaders and scholars.

The meeting made resolutions on four key issues. It resolved to have a non-executive prime minister to be nominated by the opposition, with two deputy prime ministers — one deputy from the former political detainees commonly known as “G-10,” and the other from political parties.

The meeting also rejected the scrapping of the position of the vice-president as well as the proposal for a federal system of government — in case the system is necessary, it was resolved it should come through a referendum in an agenda item in the comprehensive constitutional review.

The government also rejected the idea of two armies and two-commanders-in-chief, as had been proposed by the opposition. On the other side, the SPLM–in-Opposition called for the  institution of a federal system of governance in which the states and the local governments will have more devolved political, judicial and economic powers.

They want the current 10 states to be divided into 21 states or federal units, based on the former districts during the British colonial rule.

Second, the rebels want a prime minister with executive powers to be the head of government, while President Kiir remains head of state. The executive powers, according to their arrangements, will be shared between the two, while scrapping the position of vice-president.

The rebels also want two separate armies with two-commanders in chief during the pre-integration period, as a fall-back position should the government renege on the deal.

The government has indicated that it will only reintegrate members of the rebel forces who defected from the national army during the crisis, but not members of the “White Army,” which is made up of youth and former freedom fighters who have been the key fighting force for Dr Machar.

SPLM-in-Opposition is also demanding reforms in political, constitutional, legal, economic and natural resource distribution. The group believes that lack of reforms in these areas is the main factor that led to disagreement within the SPLM in the run-up to December 15, 2013.