September 14th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – Five South Sudan opposition groups including some members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) have rejected the signed revitalized peace deal saying it has been imposed by the mutual interest of Sudan and Uganda.
The National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka, splinter group of the SPLM-FDs led by Pagan Amum, People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) led by Dr. Hakim Dario, the National Democratic Movement (NDM) let by renowned human rights activist Emanuel Aban and the United Democratic Republican Alliance (UDRA) led by Dr. Gatwech K. Thich, all said in a joint statement that they are not part of the revitalized deal.
“The Revitalized Peace Agreement signed on 12 September 2018, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been imposed on the people of South Sudan by the mutual economic and security interests of Uganda and Sudan,” they said in the join statement extended to the Nyamilepedia.
They said the agreement failed to address the root causes of conflict in South Sudan arguing that it has nothing new rather than maintaining the status quo.
“The signed agreement fails to address the root causes of conflict in South Sudan, maintains the status quo, and serves the interest of political elites who have been accused of committing war crimes and crime against humanity,” they said.
The groups said as they are members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), they tabled all their demands and we’re promised during the conduct of the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) in Addis Ababa before the parties could move to Khartoum.
“As the members of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the group arrived at a common negotiating position regarding their demands during the High-Level Revitalization Forunm (HLRF) process in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition to addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, we called for the adoption of federal system, a lean government, rotational presidency formation of a new national army, upholding the rule of law and rescinding of the illegal establishment of the 32 states, transparent economic resources, among others,” they jointly said.
They said the new agreement divides power between elites as the SPLM factions led by Kiir, Machar, some FDs as well as the SSOA signed it.
“Far from it, it has remained a power sharing agreement between elites and for the elites, namely, the SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO, and a compromised faction of SSOA, SPLM-FDs and the OPP,” they said in the statement.
They said as result of the failure by the mediators to address the root causes of the conflict, the agreement, they said, is a recipe for future conflict.
“The failure to address the root causes of the conflict, justice and accountability for crimes committed against the people by the curent leadership in Juba makes this Revitalized Peace Agreement unsustainable, and is at a great risks of returning the country to another war as it did in July 2016,” they said.
