South Sudan’s rival SPLM factions to meet in Arusha
June 24, 2015 (NAIROBI) – South Sudanese opposition factions of the ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) are expected to meet in Arusha, Tanzania, this week for further talks on reunification of the party, officials have confirmed.
“The Tanzanian government’s ruling party (CCM) has invited our movement to Arusha for resumption of the reunification process between SPLM party factions,” Machar’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, confirmed to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
Akuei Bona Malwal, South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia, also on Wednesday told Anadolu news agency that the reunification process would resume in Arusha on Thursday, 25 June 2015.
But the rebel leader’s spokesman said there were indications that the resumption of the intraparty talks may be delayed for two days until Saturday, 27 June when it can start.
Dak also said this round of talks will no longer be tripartite between three factions, but had become bilateral between only two factions – SPLM-in-government and SPLM-in-opposition – adding the former detainees faction had already dissolved itself and rejoined the government’s faction under the leadership of president Salva Kiir.
“Our leadership has welcomed the expected resumption of the reunification process in Arusha. This time it will be a bilateral engagement between the opposition’s SPLM and the government’s SPLM. Former detainees have become part and parcel of the government,” he said.
The rebel leader’s spokesperson earlier explained that their faction wanted the Arusha roadmap agreement to be translated into a new constitution using the SPLM draft constitution as well as draft other party’s basic documents such as code of conduct, internal regulations and manifesto.
He said SPLM-IO would want to see the party’s highest executive organ, the political bureau, to be restructured in accordance with the Arusha agreement and its membership expanded, including expanding the membership of the national liberation council.
Dak also added that the issue of leadership of the party should be discussed in Arusha in view that a long awaited national convention failed to take place in May 2013 when a new leadership should have been elected by the convention.
He said their delegation could not go to Juba for such discussions when the environment was still hostile as the war was raging on, saying the talks should continue in Arusha or elsewhere, but not in Juba or Kampala.
At least 8 out of 10 membership of the former detainees have reported themselves to the national capital, Juba, and their leader, Pagan Amum, already reinstated and sworn in as secretary general of the ruling SPLM party in government.
But former security minister, Oyai Deng Ajak, and former deputy defence minister, Majak Agot, have not returned to Juba. It not yet clear whether they will follow suit or remain in exile.
Amum, after taking oath of office on Tuesday also announced that the former detainees group, also known as G10, had dissolved itself and was no longer in existence.
The group prior to 15 December crisis in Juba used to ally themselves with former vice- president Machar in which they together propagated for internal party reforms. When violence erupted they were immediately arrested, detained and accused of allegedly attempting a military coup together with Machar to oust president Kiir.
(ST)