S. Sudan’s armed opposition will not participate in convention: official
January 6, 2016 (JUBA) – Members of South Sudan’s armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) will not take part in the upcoming convention scheduled for 7 January in the capital, Juba, its secretary general, Dhieu Mathok Wol told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.
The official did not, however, explain why the armed opposition took such a decision not to participate in the extraordinary convention during which basic documents would be passed by the SPLM factions in accordance with reunification deal.
The leader of the SPLM-IO, Riek Machar, who was reinstated as the first deputy chairperson by the reunification deal, which the rival leaders signed in Arusha, Tanzania in 2015, is out of Juba, where the event will be held by a group loyal to president Salva Kiir.
It remains unclear whether Rebecca Garang, wife of late John Garang, founding leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) will take part in the convention.
Several opposition members cited lack of involvement in the initial stages of preparations. Others also argued the holding of the convention was not the priority but rather implementation of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the country.
However, members of the faction loyal to president Salva Kiir, have argued they would go ahead to hold the event, asserting they would not push back the event to wait for others.
“You cannot stop lessons or learning sessions because one or two students are absent. We have sent invitations to Riek Machar and Pagan Amum as well as other members to attend. If they cannot come, then it will not [be] wise to hold back holding the convention because they are absent. The convention will go ahead,” Bol Makueng, the head of information, culture and communications at the national secretariat of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) told reporters on Wednesday.
“It is going to be held tomorrow [Thursday]. Nothing has changed,” he declared.
In a separate response to the holding of the convention, opposition leader’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, also told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the SPLM-IO would not participate because there are issues to be tackled first in the reunification process before an extra-national convention could be convened.
He blamed the government for ruining the reunification process through its “hurried unilateral actions.”
“You cannot simply send out invitations to important stakeholders of SPLM without considering their terms as if these are invitations to friends for a wedding ceremony,” said Dak.
“Even in wedding, a bride or a groom cannot act alone by setting the date for the wedding without the agreement from the other partner or from their parents. There are always terms to be agreed upon first by the parties involved,” he said.
The reunification process, he said, needed details to be agreed first per the Arusha roadmap agreement before a convention could be conducted, including drafting of the new party constitution and other basic documents which would now be passed in the convention.
He also said SPLM-IO leadership’s priority has now been on the implementation of the initial phase of the peace agreement signed in August 2015 to form a transitional government of national unity, adding the government’s SPLM faction should do the same.
(ST)
(ST)