S. Sudanese former detainees vow to unite SPLM leadership
May 31, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s former political detainees have pledged the leadership of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party upon returning from neighbouring Kenya.
“Yes, we will be coming tomorrow. It will be a five member delegation. Comrade Deng Alor Kuol will be leading the team comprising of myself, comrade Kosti Manibe, Cirino Hiteng and Madut Biar, will be in Juba tomorrow to consult with President Salva Kiir and members of the SPLM leadership on the way forward,” former justice minister, John Luk Jok told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
“Our priority is to work for peace to come to our country”, he added.
Jok, however, said not all the ex-detainees would be returning to Juba on Monday.
“The delegation will be accompanied by South African deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ethiopian foreign minister, Tedros Adanhom and Kenyan foreign minister, Amina Mohammed and the secretary general of the Tanzanian’s ruling CCM [Chama Cha Mapinduzi], Abdulrahman Kenana,” disclosed the former justice minister.
Jok said the Juba visit, the first since their release early last year, would not exceed a week as they were also expected in the Ethiopian capital for a consultative meeting.
Some of our members will participate in the meeting before traveling to the armed opposition headquarters in Pagak for similar engagements with the rebel leadership, he said.
The ex-detainees, Jok stressed, are determined to ensure all obstacles around the peace process are removed to end suffering and ensure the next round of negotiations does not collapse when talks resume.
The CCM-led talks are parallel to that mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa.
The SPLM factions signed a reunification agreement on 21 January and later committed themselves by signing implementation matrix. The matrix gave a 45-day ultimatum for implementation of the agreement.
(ST)