July 12th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s former army turned-rebel leader, Gen. Paul Malong Awan has accused President Salva Kiir of impeding and blocking his request to participate in the ongoing IGAD-led South Sudan peace process.
Malong formed a rebel movement in March 2018 and subsequently applied to be a part of the peace revitalization process as a part of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) but his request was turned down by the regional bloc reportedly upon Kiir’s request.
In a statement released on Wednesday by Malong’s spokesman Sunday de’John, the former army chief accused the country’s President, Salva Kiir of thwarting his request to join the peace process.
“The South Sudan United Front/Army is enlightening the public that our attempts to join the peace wagon have been thwarted by President Salva Kiir Mayardiit,” Malong announced in a statement issued by his mouthpiece Sunday de’John on Wednesday.
The rebel movement said they had written to both the IGAD council of Ministers and the IGAD special envoy to include them in the peace process but the request had been turned down.
“The SSUF/A had written to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Foreign Ministers and to IGAD Special Envoy Dr. Ismail Wais requesting for inclusion in the peace talks but they all turned deaf ears to us,” the statement said.
Malong said in the statement that his group have an agenda for South Sudan that they want to table but rejected by the regional bloc in fear by the regime in Juba.
“The isolation of South Sudan united Front is out of fear exhibited by flexible Juba regime. We have agenda to table but is being rejected,” the statement further said.
