South Sudan vice president criticizes rebel leader for habitual defections

July 17, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese incumbent vice president, James Wani Igga, said the rebel leader, Riek Machar, had historical habit of defecting and forming his own group, saying he should not be given another chance as the country’s second in command.

“Why should he be given another chance,” Igga said, referring to the proposed power-sharing agreement which designated Machar as the first vice president.

Igga, who has been loyal to president Salva Kiir, was making the comments while addressing members of the Muslim community in Juba at the Freedom Hall on Thursday.

He accused the rebel leader of continuing with the war while he had been reappointed as first deputy chairperson of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party in government according to the Arusha accord.

“Somebody is still fighting you and you are reappointing him. This is not in good faith,” he said.

He narrated that Machar in 1991 rebelled against late John Garang who founded the SPLM in 1983, saying he and Lam Akol also split.

Igga added that Machar also defected from president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir’s government after working with the Sudanese president “for 11 years.” Now, he added, he again defected from president Kiir’s government.

“This is a difficult person,” he said.

The comments slightly differed from the vice president’s previous statements which accepted Machar back to the positions of the first deputy chairman and deputy president after Kiir.

Last month his press secretary said the incumbent had accepted to step aside and buy back Machar with his position in order to reach a peace agreement.

The two warring parties are expected to resume negotiations in August to try to thrush out their differences including on power sharing arrangements.

(ST)