South Sudan’s former detainees call for interim leadership

April 10, 2014 (JUBA) – Seven former detainees from South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) are advocating for the formation of an interim administration to be headed by an independent leader to review the constitution and organise future elections.

“Our people need peace and development. They do not need war because they know the consequences of it. They have gone though this fighting for a very long time. We don’t think we should take them back to the same misery and the same suffering. There must be a new political dispensation that will be able to reconcile our people and chart the future,” former cabinet affairs, Deng Alor Kuol, who leads group of the seven members said on Thursday.

Kuol says the interim government should review the constitution and investigate human rights violation since December 2013, pointing out that he is saddened by the split within the leadership of the former rebel movement turned ruling party under President Salva Kiir.

“This crisis we are facing originated within the SPLM leadership. It came out from the political bureau over issues of reforms, transparency and democracy. We wanted reforms. We wanted democratic changes within the SPLM leadership but Salva Kiir and a group of other members did not like that and they instigated the violence. They created this unfortunate situation,” he added.

The former South Sudanese foreign minister said none of the parties involved in the conflict would win the war and impose their solutions. It is very difficult for any party to win this war and impose a solution I don’t think the parties that are fighting can sustain this war.

John Luk Jok, South Sudan’s former justice minister, who speaks for the group said the interim administration should be headed by an independent leader who would contest for public office in any future elections.

“The interim arrangements should be carried out by an independent leader, someone who would not have any interest in these arrangements,” Jok told Sudan Tribune in a separate interview.

(ST)