November 16th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group SPLM-IO will convene a meeting of its higher body to choose between what a senior opposition official called a surrender or return to war if the peace implementation fail.
President Salva Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar met in Entebbe last week and decided to extend the pre-transitional period for three months to allow for implementation of outstanding issues.
This include – as provided for in the agreement – the establishment of one national army, police and national security as well as the determination of the number and boundaries of states.
The parties had extended that period in May for November 12th and had to extend again because the issues that led to the May extension weren’t met in November.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia on Friday, SPLM-IO former Sobat state governor and senior member of the group, Duer Tut Duer, said the main armed opposition group would call for a convention to choose between war and return to Juba if the implementation of the outstanding issues failed again.
“If the implementation fails, there will be two options: going back to war or accepting to form the Government without the accomplishment of the Pre-transitional task,” Duer said.
“In this case it is important for the leadership to call for convention such that the decision of return to war or accepting to form the Government without security arrangements is taken by the convention and not by individual,” he added.
Duer previously said in an interview that return to Juba without the resolution of the outstanding issues would be surrender saying the government of South Sudan was not ready to implement the peace agreement in spirit as it was signed in letter.
“To me, forming the government without proper security arrangements is a surrendering,” he said.
