August 12th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has said in a statement on Sunday that it is not against the peace agreement and the incumbent government.
The government of President Salva Kiir and opposition groups including those represented in SSOA signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement to end the civil war.
Although it remains unclear what prompted the statement, there has been an internal wrangling for power within the embattled alliance with member-groups accusing each other of derailing peace process.
In the statement, the Secretary-General of the opposition consortium Dr. Lam Akol said some unidentified detractors have been spreading false information that the group is against peace agreement and the incumbent TGONU [Transitional Government of National Unity].
“In their desperation, some detractors of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) have been peddling the empty and cheap propaganda that SSOA is both anti- Incumbent TGoNU and anti-peace,” the statement said partly.
The statement which described the accusations as an attempt to lure government into offering them some privileges including positions denied that the SSOA is against the agreement pointing to their signature and commitment to the agreement.
“First, SSOA is a signatory to the Revitalized Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and in that capacity it is a peace partner to the other four political signatories including the government,” the statement said.
“Second, SSOA has shown by deeds, not just words, its commitment to the faithful implementation of the R-ARCSS,” it added.
The statement further reiterated the group’s commitment to the revitalized peace agreement pointing to the presence of top SSOA leaders in Juba before the unity government formation.
According to the agreement, opposition leaders are supposed to return to Juba few days before or after the formation of the reconstituted unity government.
” …… as a gesture of good will, SSOA leaders who are not part of the implementation mechanisms are in Juba to be available for consultations with the other partners, especially the government,” the statement said.
“R-ARCSS stipulates that Opposition leaders were to be expected in Juba at the beginning of the Transitional Period and not before. Yet, SSOA took this extra step in order to build confidence and trust between the Parties to the agreement,” the statement added.
