SPLM-IO calls on president Kiir’s government to disarm Sudanese rebels

September 3, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese armed opposition faction of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of former vice president, Riek Machar, said the peace agreement they signed with president Salva Kiir has called on Juba to disarm and repatriate to Sudan various Sudanese rebel groups being harboured, trained, armed and fight against Machar’s forces on the side of the government in the oil-rich greater Upper Nile region for the past 20 months of the civil war.

Machar’s faction had been all along accusing Sudanese rebel groups of military interference in the conflict on the side of president Kiir, but both the government and Sudanese rebels have been denying it, despite reiteration by Sudan’s government that the rebels were in fact inside South Sudan’s territory.

Spokesperson of the SPLM-IO’s leader however said the peace agreement has confirmed the presence of the Sudanese rebel groups and urged the government to disarm and deport them from the South Sudan’s territory in implementation of the permanent ceasefire agreement.

“Article 1.1 of the Permanent Ceasefire agreement clearly states that “The warring parties agree that all non-state security actors including, but not limited to Sudanese Revolutionary Front (JEM, SLA-Abdel Wahid, SLA-Minnawi, SPLM-North) shall be disarmed, demobilized and repatriated by the state actors with whom they have been supporting within the Pre-Transitional Period,” recalls James Gatdet Dak, spokesperson for the armed opposition leader, Machar.

“We are glad that the peace agreement has confirmed the fact that these foreign rebel groups have been illegally invited to our country by the regime in Juba and armed to fight against the people of South Sudan on the side of the government and also against the neighbouring Sudan,” Dak told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Sudanese rebel groups denied being involved in the inter South Sudanese conflict. However the UNMISS in a report to the UN Security Council mentioned that JEM fighters were involved in the fighting along the South Sudanese government soldiers

Dak said it was time for the government to disarm, demobilize and repatriate them back to Sudan within 90 days of the pre-transitional period in accordance with the provisions of the peace agreement.

He applauded the government for making the political commitment by signing the peace agreement, saying there was also need for a political will to fully implement it.

He revealed that a workshop to be attended by senior military officers from the SPLA-IO and the government will take place this week in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to kick off implementation of the provisions under the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangements.

The two parties in the workshop will determine the size and composition of presidential guards in Juba, the size and composition of the forces from both sides that will be deployed and stationed in Juba to protect barracks, bases and warehouses as well as a joint police force to be deployed in the national capital, including Bor, Malakal, Bentiu and other unspecified towns and areas.

Forces from the two warring parties, according to the agreement, are expected to establish a unified command and deploy inside Juba within the 90 days of the pre-transitional period before the first vice president-designate, Riek Machar, can travel to Juba and form a transitional government of national unity with president Kiir.

A complete unification of all the rival forces throughout the country is expected to take at least one and a half years during which they will maintain separate commands by president Kiir and armed opposition leader, Machar.

(ST)