Oct 05, 2017(Nyamilepedia) —– South Sudan’s former Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the chairman and commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A (IO) received IGAD’s high level delegation led by H.E. Workneh Gebeyehu, the minister of foreign affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and H. E. Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour, the minister of Foreign Affair of the Republic of Sudan.
According to IGAD, the high level delegation visited Dr. Machar in Pretoria, South Africa, to consult his position as the leader of the main armed opposition, the SPLM/A in Opposition, with regards to upcoming revitalization of South Sudan Peace Process.
Machar, a soft and well spoken politician, briefed IGAD with a clear road-map on how the peace process should be resuscitated and restored in the world’s youngest nation.
According to Machar’s acting spokesman, Lam Kuei Lam, the consultation was very “fruitful”, however, he cautioned that full details were upheld to be released through IGAD mechanism.
“Details of the consultation which took place on October 5th 2017 in South Africa, will be released through the IGAD High powered delegation soon. But the SPLM/SPLA-IO Chairman assured the delegations his commitment to the peace to unveil in south Sudan.” Said Machar’s spokesman, Lam Kuei Lam.
“The SPLM/A (IO) leadership welcomed the consultation forum and expressed its appreciation to the IGAD for the opportunity as we look forward for the peaceful resolution to conflict.” Lam continued.
IGAD’s consultation with Dr. Machar came as a result of IGAD’s new High Level Revitalization Forum, initiated in June this year, to bring South Sudanese leaders together to revitalize the peace process.
As scheduled, the rapporteurs, will also consult other groups led by President Kiir, Taban Deng Gai, Lam Akol, Deng Alor, Martin Elia Lomuro, Gabriel Changson and Pagan Amum.
The revitalization forum also extends good gestures to military generals such as Gen. Johnson Olony, IO Military Governor and Special Division overall Commander, Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka, the Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Machar’s SPLA, and two former Deputy Chiefs of Sfaff for Kiir’s SPLA faction, Lt. Gen. Bapiny Manytuil and Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka.
While Lt. Gen. Olony has turned down IGAD’s attempts to approach him as a separate entity and instead directed IGAD to deal with his chairman, Dr. Machar, Lt. Gen. Bapiny Manytuil has welcomed IGAD’s forum but calls on armed Oppositions to unite under one umberalla and speak in one voice to weaken Salva Kiir’s regime.
“First and foremost i would like to size this opportunity to bring into the attention of Igad in particular and our south Sudanese in general that i welcome the IGAD revitalization schedule for consultation forum, since it has opportunity for our people to revised the already collapsed agreement for the Resolution of conflict in South Sudan.” Said Lt. Gen. Manytuil.
LT Gen Bapiny Manytuil Wichjang believes that as long as Salva Kiir’s faction has an upper hand at the front line, Kiir and his allies will push for more war than revitalization roadmap to end the conflict.
“Therefore it has been overdue for our people to search for good peace but not bad peace, in that matter i call upon all opposition forces to join thier ranks and files under one umbrella so that they can be able to fight tyranny in Juba.” Manytuil said.
Unlike Dr. Machar, whose influence widely spread in the country, Gen. Bapiny, Cirillo, Gatdet and most of the exiled politicians controls close to none on the ground.
Machar’s forces maintain grip of bigger landmass in two of the three regions of South Sudan, the Upper Nile and Equatoria, and exert significant pressure in Bhar el Ghazal region, which according to the International Community, will make chances of a free and fair election very unlikely if a meaningful peace process is not achieved to cease hostilities.
1 comment
We are not like Machar or Nuer even. He looks very weak to me.