September 15th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – The main armed opposition group led by the country’s former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny said on Friday that change of the status quo remain the core objective of the rebel group despite the signing of the agreement which maintain President Salva Kiir in power.
On Wednesday, President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny signed the long-awaited revitalized peace agreement that is meant to end the five-year old brutal conflict.
On Friday, the SPLM-IO chairperson of National Committee for Information and Public Relations Mabior Garang de’Mabior issued a statement assuring the entire membership and supporters of the SPLM-IO that the group still maintain the objective of changing the status quo.
“The members of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) and the public at large should be confident that the objective of the movement remains the end of the current status quo,” Mabior said in the statement.
He urged to the supporters not to be dismayed as they did not got what they wanted wholly stressing that no one always get all what he wants in negotiations.
“The members of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) should not be dismayed that we did not get everything we want from the agreement, and that many assurances given to the Movement by the mediation have not been adequately addressed, this is the nature of negotiations”
Said Mabior.
The SPLM/A further slammad the regime in Juba for carting out offensives against their forces less than 24 hours after they signed an agreement to form a unity government.
“The members of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) should also not be dismayed at the fact that regime’s forces continue to attack our defensive positions with impunity, despite having been identified as the major violators of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) and Ceasefire Agreements by the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC),” he said in the statement
The group said some members of the mediation of the IGAD of taking side in the negotiations which contradicts the roles of mediation.
“The Movement is fully aware of the contradiction in the formula for negotiations throughout the peace process, with certain members of the mediation acting as player and referee at the same time,” Mabior said.
