December 27th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – A South Sudan opposition group said on Tuesday that the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) did not informed them about ongoing consultations with holdout opposition groups.
This came after the regional body tasked IGAD envoy, Amb. Ismail Wais to meet with holdout opposition groups in order to try to convince them to join the peace deal.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Tuesday, the leader of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), Dr. Hakim Dario, said they did not receive and official notice and only learned through the media.
“While PDM has not received any formal communication from the IGAD Special Envoy Ambassador Wais to state what it was that he was mandated to discuss with the so called holdout group, PDM has learned from IGAD communique in the media that they would like PDM and other opposition groups to join in the implementation of the R-ARCSS,” he told the Nyamilepedia on Tuesday.
“Until now, IGAD has not formally written to PDM for a consultation on our position, or to discuss any issues and matters arising from IGAD council of Ministers directives. We are still awaiting IGAD Special Envoy’s communication on the matter,” he added.
Asked why he rejected to sign the revitalized peace deal, Dario said the mediation had sided with the government and so it was impartial.
“PDM positions and proposals were not incorporated in R-ARCSS, the mediators were impartial and sided with the position of one side in the HLRF process, that of the TGoNU led by Salva Kiir,” he said.
He added that the process may succeed only if the peace agreement is reopened for renegotiation and incorporation of their demands like federalism and distribution of power between the three region of South Sudan.
“The initiative has a chance to succeed if it allows for re-opening the R-ARCSS for negotiation and incorporating the proposals of PDM a federal system during the transitional period based on power sharing between the peoples of South Sudan in the three regions of Upper Nile, Equatoria and Bahr al Ghazal,” he added.
