October 31st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, has reiterated its rejection to the unity government formation in November.
This came a day after President Salva Kiir Mayardit insisted that he will form the government in November as agreed by the parties to the agreement in May.
In a statement to Reuters on Wednesday, SPLM-IO’s director of information and public relations Puok Both Baluang said they want a six-months extension to the pre-transitional period.
This is the same position Machar himself echoed in early October when he told a visiting United Nations Security Council delegation in Juba that he will not be a party to the government Kiir had initially said he will form without him.
Baluang further accused the government in Juba of lacking political will to implement the agreement which is now believed by many as the only hope for the people of South Sudan.
“It’s not rocket science that the government in Juba lacks political will to implement the peace deal,” Baluang told Reuters.
Machar’s position has been echoed by prominent opposition leader Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin who leads the National Democratic Movement (NDM), a leading member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).
Akol requested two more months to enable the parties top implement the remaining outstanding issues such as the formation of the unified army, police and national security.
The other issue is the dispute over the number and boundaries of the states.
While Kiir wants these issues settled by the new government, Machar and Lam said if not resolved, these issues will be the very fundamental issues that would threaten to return the county to war.
