October 26th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan opposition figures are rallying behind SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar in his push for extension of pre-transitional period.
Machar last Sunday rejected a call by South Sudan government and regional community to form the long-awaited Reconstituted Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) in November.
Machar’s decision – according his own words – is because absense of pre-transitional tasks provided for in the agreement will jeopardize a stable government.
In a statement on Friday, SPLM-IO Kaopeta state governor Marko Lokidor said he and those under him supports Machar’s decision to reject the government formation.
“On behalf of the great people of the Kapoeta State, and on my own behalf, I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and commend H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-In-Chief of the SPLM/A-IO, and First Vice President-Designate of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), for the courageous and firm stance that he made in his statement of Sunday 20th October 2019 during the visits of the delegation from United Nations Security Council, African Union Peace & Security Council and Inter Governmental Authority on Development,” the statement extended to Nyamilepedia partly reads.
“With the November 12th deadline is fast-approaching, it critically imperative that all signatories to the R-ARCSS realise their respective responsibilities with respect to all the outstanding key provisions of the agreement, and the need to see peace and stability return to South Sudan.
“We strongly support the Chairman’s call and emphasis on the need to achieve security arrangements, confirmation of the number of states, demarcation of boundaries, establishment of the cantonment sites, trainings, unification and deployment of the forces before the formation of the RTGONU.
“With aspiration and hope, we, the people of Kapoeta State, rally and support the principled position taken by the leadership of the SPLM/A-IO, and also call upon other signatories to the peace agreement to recognise the rationale behind the need to address all the afore-mentioned outstanding issues that have become an impediment to the establishment of the RTGoNU.”
For its part, the SPLM-IO mission to Ethiopia also welcomed Machar’s decision saying for a government to be formed, all the provisions of the agreement must be implemented.
