November 12th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group SPLM-IO has denied reports that it was dropping its position on the number and boundaries of states.
Rumors on social media on Monday alleged that the powerful armed group was in a position to comprise its position on the states issue if the security arrangements is to be fully implemented as agreed.
“We categorically refute this baseless and fabricated information,” SPLM-IO director of information and public relations Puok Both Baluang told the Nyamilepedia on Tuesday morning.
“We would like assure members and the people of South Sudan at large that, we shall pursue the full implementation of the R-ARCSS provisions to its logical conclusion and we shall not betray the cause of fundamental change, as our objective is to deliver the promises of the liberation struggle,” he added.
The SPLM-IO and the government along several opposition groups signed a revitalized peace agreement in September last year to end the war. During the talks in Khartoum, return of the country to ten states has been a central demand of the SPLM-IO.
The parties later reached a compromise on the states and agreed to handle it through a body known as the Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) which has failed so far to resolve the dispute.
The parties were required by the agreement to form a unity government in May with condition that the pending issues be resolved before then end of the deadline.
However, the parries failed to form the government and decided that the government formation be rescheduled for November 12th which is today to enable for the implementation of the critical pre-transitional tasks.
The issue has resulted in the extension of the government again to next year and the SPLM-IO said it was not true that it was giving up on the issue.
