November 8th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has accused the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, of imposing the ongoing civil war on the people of South Sudan.
In December 2013, a militia force also known as Mathiang Anyoor privately owned by the president slaughtered thousands of Nuer civilians igniting protests among senior army officers leading to what is now a six-year old civil war.
A peace agreement was signed in August 2015 but collapsed a year after. The United Nations and world powers blamed the government for the latest outbreak of war which would have ended if provisions of that agreement were implemented fully.
Kiir and Machar signed a revitalized version of that agreement last year but a unity government formation initially set for May 2019 was adjourned to next week because the government was lacking the political will needed to implement the agreement according to peace guarantors.
He was forced on Sunday to accept an extension of the pre-transitional period for three months despite an early promise that he won’t vow to regional and international powers who he said were pressuring him to adjourn the government formation.
Speaking to a welcoming crowd this morning while returning from Entebbe where he met Machar for the extension, Kiir said he was determined to form the Reconstituted Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) which he said would have ended the ongoing civil war he said was imposed by the SPLM-IO on the people.
“My citizens, I was honest and sincere in my pronouncement and determination to establish the R-TGoNU as planned on the 12 November 2019 because I know that would assure you about the return of peace and security to our country,” Kiir said.
“It would also create an environment that would alleviate your sufferings after more than five years of worthless internal conflict which the SPLM/A (IO) imposed on us,” Kiir added.
Kiir said absence of some provisions of the revitalized agreement in place was exploited by the main armed opposition group leading to the postponement of the formation of the unity government for more than three months.
“My dear fellow citizens, despite my determination to establish the R-TGoNU in time, the fact that some provisions of the agreement relating to the security arrangements were not implemented; including the screening, unification and the training of the unified forces, was exploited by the SPLM/A (IO) to make a case before the guarantors,” he said.
“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and President Abdul Fattah (al-)Burhan of Sudan, appealed and urged the Incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (I-TGoNU ) to accept the 100 days extension of the transitional period of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (A-ARCSS),” he added.
