January 20th 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group SPLM-IO, has accepted to participate in the unity government formation due in February, a statement issued by the group on Monday said.
This is in contradiction to an early statement in which the main armed opposition group said it won’t participate unless a regional protection force is deployed in the capital and other towns.
In the statement signed by SPLM-IO deputy chairman of information committee Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, a meeting chaired by Machar in Juba accepted for the unity government formation at the end of the pre-transitional period.
“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) held in Juba, South Sudan, a meeting under Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/SPLA(I0) and the First Vice President Designate of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon,” the statement said.
“The meeting endorsed the SPLM/SPLA(IO) position to enable the formation of the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) at the end of the extension of the 100 days presented to Special Envoys and President Salva Kiir Mayardit on 15h January 2020,” the statement said.
“The meeting also listened to the reports of the various peace implementation mechanisms on the progress and challenges facing the implementation of the critical pending pre- transitional tasks during the 69 days of the extended 100 days of the pre-transitional period of the R-ARCSS.
“The meeting reviewed and evaluated the tasks done during the 69 days of the 100 days per the communique of the 7th November 2019 Tripartite Summit on the R- ARCSS in Entebbe, Uganda and the resolution of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the 10th November 2019 endorsing the 100 days’ extension.
“The review and evaluation is important as the parties and IGAD need to agree on the way forward in the implementation of the Agreement. In the light of the above, the SPLM/SPLA(I0) calls upon IGAD to urgently initiate the process of the evaluation of the elapsed period of the 100 days’ extension.
“Finally, the SPLM/SPLA(IO) reiterates its full commitment to the implementation of the R- ARCSS in letter and spirit.”
