September 24th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group SPM-IO led by the former First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar Teny condemned on Monday remarks by President Salva Kiir last week in which the head of state said he may form the unity government expected in November without Machar.
Machar is identified by the revitalized peace agreement signed in September by the government and several opposition groups as the person who shall take up the position of the First Vice-President which he held prior to collapse of agreement in July 2016.
In a statement issued on Monday, SPLM-IO director of information Puok Both Baluang said his group condemns President Kiir’s comments saying the government is seeking to maintain the status quo in the country.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) condemns in the strongest possible terms the statement of President Salva Kiir Mayardit in September 19, 2019, during the prayers that was conducted at the Presidential Palace (J1) in which he asserted that the R-TGoNU could be formed without the SPLM (IO),” the statement extended to Nyamilepedia partly read.
“The counter insurgency tactics of the government are a further indication of the lack of political will to implement the (R-ARCSS). It also reflects that they are seeking to maintain the status quo, which would only increase and perpetuates the suffering of the people of South Sudan,” the statement added.
The statement said the parties should not focus much on timely formation of the government but work hard to make sure that all the necessary arrangements such as the security matters, number and boundaries of the states are addressed before the government formation.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) consider that priority at this time, must be given to addressing the critical and outstanding issues of the Pre-Transitional Period such as; the security arrangements, the issue of number and boundaries of the states, and the constitutional amendment and security laws, and also to work to fully implement the aforementioned issues in accordance with the revitalized agreement,” the statement said.
“We urge the government of South Sudan to follow our example and demonstrate their full commitment to implement the (R-ARCSS).
“In addition, we believe that the parties of the revitalized agreement should use the momentum gained from the recent face-to-face meetings between the two principles, H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his brother H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, in the interests of peace.
“The people of South Sudan after the aforementioned meetings are expecting from the parties to fully implement on the ground the issues agreed by the two leaders, in accordance with the (R-ARCSS) not hostile statements.”
