April 4th 3019 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior opposition official of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has hinted at the extension of the pre-transitional period to December 2019 over delay of pre-transitional activities such as the issues of the state and security arrangements.
Kiir’s South Sudan government and opposition groups in September last year signed a revitalized peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end five years of brutal civil war mostly fought along ethnic lines.
The SPLM-IO led by Dr. Riek Machar Teny, who was once a First Vice President and now designated for the same position, is a signatory of the IGAD-brokered agreement.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Tuesday, Hon. Duer Tut Duer, former SPLM-IO governor of ‘Sobat state’ said the parties, have to chose between delaying the formation of unity government until the end of the year or go on without clear preparations which he said is risky.
“As far as the month of May is approaching, the parties to the Agreement have to choose between extending the Pre-transitional period up to December 2019 or start the transitional period on the twelve (12) of May 2019 without proper security arrangements,” he said.
Duer pointed to the delayment in forming, training and deploying the unified national army as set force in the implementation matrix of the interim security arrangements adding that the dispute on the number of states and their boundaries which is supposed to be solved three months after the signing of the agreement is still unsolved.
“Let us not forget that, we are Left with one (1) month and nine (9) days before the end of none extendable pre-transitional period of eight (8) months, yet the number of states is not decided while supposed should have happened ninety (90) days from the date of signing,” he said.
“In term of security arrangements, the training and redeployment of unified forces has not started yet,” he added.
