SPLM-IO query S. Africa’s involvement in re-unification process
May 11, 2015 (JUBA) – An official of the South Sudan’s opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) said a separate intraparty dialogue which took place in Pretoria, South Africa, was incomplete as it didn’t represent all the conflicting parties.
“That South African meeting was done in the name of the reunification but it did not represent all the faces to call it a meeting between the SPLM leadership. I think it would be prudent to call it a meeting between the government and the former detainees instead of smearing the entire SPLM leadership,” said Ayii Ayii Akol, the deputy head of humanitarian affairs committee in the SPLM-IO.
Akol who cited non-invitation to its delegation criticized the South African arrangement which he said should been in line with the other dialogue processes in Arusha.
He however expressed doubted whether the dialogue was for the reunification of the SPLM family, saying it might have been a specific arrangement of follow-up on Kampala meeting to try to lure the former detainees back to Juba.
The opposition official claimed that one of the demands of the former detainees at the Kampala meeting, which was facilitated by president Yoweri Museveni was to dismiss some government officials who have shown hostility towards them in the media and in their normal engagement.
He said SPLM-IO’s chief representative for the reunification of the party would have been part of the meeting, if it were something related to the progress on the Arusha agreement, which all the factions signed.
“Comrade Peter Adwok Nyaba is our chief representative and if it were something to do with the Arusha agreement, he would have been part of that meeting but he did not receive any invitation.”
“Now how do you call it a meeting between the SPLM leaders? I see that process has already failed,” Akol further stressed.
In a statement, however, South Africa’s deputy chairperson of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, and the secretary-general of the Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Abdurrahman Kinana, acknowledged hosting the South Sudanese delegation in Pretoria, South Africa, on 9 May, 2015.
The meeting, the statement said, was convened by the two leaders in their capacities as co-guarantors of the agreement on the reunification of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed on 21 January 2015 in Arusha, Tanzania.
South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, and opposition leader, Riek Machar, signed the reunification agreement, while the country’s former cabinet affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol, represented the former political detainees.
The agreement addressed the political, organisational and leadership issues that caused the political crisis in South Sudan, yet the Pretoria meeting was attended by representatives from government and the ex-detainees, leaving out the main armed opposition.
“The meeting took stock of steps taken thus far in the Roadmap for the Implementation of the SPLM Reunification Agreement. In this regard, the meeting acknowledged that tremendous progress has been made thus far,” Ramaphosa said in the statement.
The objective of the meeting was to cement lasting peace in South Sudan, building upon a firm foundation that was laid in Arusha. In this regard, we have reached consensus on how best to strengthen and implement the Arusha Agreement,” stressed the ANC deputy chair.
He said as co-guarantors, they wee optimistic all parties will remain seized with the reunification of the SPLM as a means to unite the country and to end the war. The parties reportedly reaffirmed their commitment to full implementation of the reunification agreement.
“In pursuance of this objective, the co-guarantors will soon visit Juba, South Sudan, and neighbouring states to ensure unity of purpose and to advance the implementation of the Reunification Agreement,” he added in the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
Observers say the Pretoria meeting was an attempt to achieve a quick fix to return to fold former detainees without digging deep into issues, but further argued that a reunification without the Machar-led armed opposition faction will not produce any positive impact, given his political and military constituency as well as diplomatic support.
(ST)