Holdout groups reject extension of S. Sudan’s transitional period
August 7, 2022 (JUBA) – Non-Signatory South Sudan Opposition Groups (NSSSOG) have described as “illegal” the recent extension of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) period for 24 months.
Last week, five South Sudanese political parties to the September 2018 peace deal signed a roadmap extending the transitional period for two more years, citing failure to complete critical benchmarks on the agreed time.
But NSSOG, in a statement issued on Saturday, described the decision taken by President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar as a ploy to remain in office after having “lost the legitimacy against the will of the people of South Sudan”.
“This is illegal. They have lost their legitimacy. They had committed themselves to giving the power back to the people of South Sudan after 40 months of the transitional period to elect their government in free and fair elections. President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar have failed to implement the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. They have failed to bring peace,” partly reads the group’s statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
The group comprises of the United Democratic Revolutionary Movement/Army UDRM/A, National Democratic Movement Patriotic Front (NDM-PF), National Salvation Front (NAS), South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC), and the Real SPLM.
The holdout group also accused the country’s leaders of failing to reform and stabilize the state, in addition to having failed to reunite the people.
“They have failed to resettle the internally displaced persons. The revitalized transitional government of national unity has lost the trust of the people of South Sudan, the region, and the international community,” further stressed the statement.
It added, “We call on the members of the international community not to recognise but to designate as illegitimate any administration in South Sudan borne out of the illegal extension and stolen legitimacy”.
However, while speaking at the launch of the transitional period roadmap, President Kiir appealed to the holdout groups to return to the country and contribute to the process of rebuilding the young nation.
He specifically singled out Pagan Amum Okiech, the spokesperson NSSSOG and the leader of National Salvation Front (NAS), Thomas Cirillo.
“I close this message by calling on two of them, in particular, to come back to South Sudan and collaborate with us in creating conditions for a complete political transition from war to lasting peace,” said Kiir.
“Comrades Pagan Amum and Thomas Cirilo should come back home and join hands with us in Juba, like some of their comrades have. We were together in the liberation, and while we have differed, we need them to join us now to set history on a correct course,” he further stressed.
Last month, Amum and Cirillo signed a political memorandum forming an alliance in which they called for a round table dialogue conference of all stakeholders to discuss the fate of the nation post the transitional period, ending in February 2023.
(ST)