January 22nd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin denied in a statement on Monday reports that it is working against the ongoing peace process in South Sudan reiterating its commitment to peace.
Currently, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) is fractured into two groups. One faction is led by Gabriel Changson Chang and the other is led by Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka. The two groups have been trading accusations against each other of derailing peace process.
In a statement issued on Monday, the group loyal to Gen. Gatdet’s SSOA faction said all the accusations against it are “baseless” and that it is for peace.
“It has come to the attention of NDM that some quarters are waging propaganda against NDM that it is against the peace agreement and its implementation. NDM would like to categorically respond that such propaganda is unfounded and ridiculous,” said a statement signed by the group’s spokesman Mut Turuk.
The statement further said one of the indications that the NDM is for peace is that it “signed the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) on 12 September 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” and that “Its National Leadership Council ratified the same within the time frame specified by the Agreement.”
The statement further said – in contrary to the accusations against it – all the peace implementation committees from the group are in the South Sudan’s capital Juba working side by side with other parties in carrying out pre-transitional activities.
“NDM is part and parcel of the implementation committees and mechanisms that are the tools of the implementation process. Members of NDM who are taking part in the implementation process are now in Juba for that purpose,” the statement said.
“Field commanders of NDM have met the government army in their locations so as to consolidate the permanent ceasefire and facilitate the implementation of the security arrangements. For example, our Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Cdr Nicodemus Deng Deng, met the Divisional commander of Aweil in Wunyik last week,” it added.
