Amum vows to reunite divided SPLM, end South Sudanese war

June 24, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese ruling (SPLM) party’s newly reinstated secretary general, Pagan Amum, vowed on Tuesday to reunite the fractured former guerrilla movement whose internal power struggle and debate over reform agenda ignited the 18-month long conflict in the world’s youngest nation.

Speaking to reporters after taking oath of office after being reinstated to the position by president Salva Kiir who dismissed him two and half years ago, Amum also revealed that the former vice-president and current armed opposition leader Riek Machar was also reinstated, at least in theory, as the first deputy chairman of SPLM.

Amum who said he was a “born again’ politician after the reinstatement by president Kiir, said he would now take up the business of reunifying the divided party.

“And from now, it is going to [be] business of uniting the SPLM, from now, it is a business of proceeding to stop this war and bring peace to our country so that we can rebuild South Sudan, improve and change tarnished image of South Sudan and (of) the SPLM,” Amum said.

The oratory South Sudanese politician was in February 2013 fired by president Kiir, who is also the chairman of SPLM, at the peak of power struggle in the party. The decision was revoked during an emergency meeting of the party’s National Liberation Council (NLC) on Tuesday and Amum was sworn in to the office few hours later.

The NLC decision was reached after president Kiir reportedly agreed to implement the Arusha SPLM roadmap reunification agreement signed in January 2015. The agreement also caters for reforms in the party. According to the deal, brokered by ruling parties of Tanzania and South Africa, Riek Machar would be reinstated as first deputy chairman of the SPLM.

Machar has not sent any delegate to Juba to pursue the implementation, citing security concerns, according to his spokesman. This week bilateral talks between his faction and the government’s SPLM faction will resume in Arusha.

Amum said with his swearing in to the office, he will now shoulder the responsibility to reunite the party, end the war and pave way for badly needed services delivery to South Sudanese.

“And united, work to make the dream of all our martyrs, on the top of whom our founding father and visionary leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior; make his dream come true; the dream of peaceful, free and prosperous South Sudan,” Amum said.

The resumption of SPLM influential post by Amum triggered mixed reactions among South Sudanese. Some criticized president Kiir for rewarding rebellion with top public position and others rebuked him for causing the death of innocent civilians when he will not stand his ground.

For the last one year after the crisis, Amum, who declared to contest for chairmanship position against Kiir in 2013, had been calling for removal of the president from power, saying an interim government should be handed over to none of the two rival leaders, including Machar.

AMUM IN KENYA

Amum arrived in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday in preparation for his new role as government’s official.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that he was preparing for a meeting between president Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar on the Addis Ababa peace process, which is expected to take place on Thursday under the auspices of president Uhuru Kenyatta.

He will also make preparations for delegation of SPLM in government to travel to Arusha to meet with the SPLM-IO delegates.

Rebel leader Machar on Monday also met president Kenyatta at the State House and discussed a way forward in the peace process.

(ST)