April 28, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese armed opposition faction led by the country’s former vice-president, Riek Machar, has declared the illegitimacy of president Salva Kiir’s leadership when his elected term in office expires next month.
South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar with the commander of special division I, Gen James Koang Chol Ranley, in Pagak, on 8 December 2014 (ST)In resolutions (attached below) passed during the recent leadership conference convened in the rebel-held town of Pagak from 19 to 23 April, the opposition noted that the term of office of the president shall have expired on 21 May 2015, while the tenure for the national legislature already expired on 8 March this year.
They also condemned the recent extension of the president’s term of office and that of parliament, describing it as unconstitutional, null and void.
“Condemns and declares as unconstitutional the recent amendments to the Transitional Constitution, 2011, extending the terms of office of President Salva Kiir and the National Legislature. These extensions are therefore against peace and ought to be taken as null and void,” partly reads the resolutions signed by the rebel leader.
The rebel group called on the international community to reject the extensions and work to dissolve the government in pursuit of peace in the country.
“Appeals to the regional and African leaders and the international community at large to proclaim Salva Kiir’s regime illegitimate and to demand its immediate dissolution in order to give peace a chance,” the resolutions seen by Sudan Tribune further stated.
The resolutions further reminded that “sovereignty is solely vested in the people of South Sudan exercised through adult suffrage in periodical general elections.”
“The conference expressed its indignation on the usurpation of this power by the National Legislature by extending the lifespan of itself and the President of the Republic.”
President Kiir took oath of office as elected president on 21 May 2010 before South Sudan became independent. He took another oath of office as transitional president of the Republic on 9 July 2011 when the country became independent, a constitutional mandate which shall also end on 8 July 2015.
The rebel group said only through a peace agreement can there be renewal in leadership of South Sudan, but not through “unconstitutional” actions.
The conference welcomed and supported the new mediation mechanism which would consist of IGAD countries, plus the five African countries of Algeria, Nigeria, Chad, South Africa and Rwanda, representing African regional blocs, Troika (USA, UK and Norway), China, European Union, IGAD Partners Forum (IPF) and the United Nations.
The resolutions however called upon the leadership of the new mediation mechanism to concentrate not on imposing a solution but on allowing and facilitating the rebel’s opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS) to negotiate a sustainable peace agreement, and to grant adequate time to conduct such process.
The rebel group also called on the African Union (AU) to release and make public its Commission of Inquiry report on the South Sudanese conflict that was chaired by the Nigerian former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.
It further called on the UN and AU peace and security council to establish an independent judicial body to try and bring to book the perpetrators of human rights violations in South Sudan conflict.
The conference further reiterated the call for withdrawal of all foreign forces that interfered in the war and called upon the international community and African leaders to demand immediate withdrawal of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) from the territory of South Sudan.
The movement also called for vigorous political mobilization and resolved to establish a radio service to “inform, educate and mobilise the masses” in the country and from the diaspora.
While it encouraged the Arusha intra-party dialogue that addresses the root causes of the conflict, SPLM-IO also thrived to further dialogue with the other South Sudanese political parties and organisations to reach an understanding on common purpose.
The rebel group also declared Pagak, a rebel-held town in the newly created Adar state as their new headquarters. Pagak is an area under which most oilfields including Falluj fall. The rebels called on all its national committees to move to this new location.
It also recommended that the coordination offices of the UN and international non-governmental organisations operating in the government held capital of Juba are relocated to a neighboring country, saying this would allow for a balanced and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to the war affected areas.
The rebel group also resolved to respect and uphold and abide with international humanitarian laws, rules and regulations and instructed its humanitarian agency, the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SSRRA) to cooperate with humanitarian agencies operating in the liberated areas.
It however cautioned international organisations against being used by South Sudanese government’s security agents to infiltrate the rebel controlled areas.
“Deplores the infiltration of UN, international and national NGOs operating inside South Sudan by GRSS security elements and the deployment of these agents disguising as humanitarian workers into the SPLM/SPLA controlled areas,” it stressed.
The conference also called on the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to allow and facilitate return of the displaced populations in it protection of civilian sites to their places of choice in the country’s states, counties and payams.
The opposition faction reaffirmed its commitment to reaching a peace agreement with the government and end the war.
(ST)
RESOLUTIONS OF SPLM-IO LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
