South Sudan awaits return of Rebecca Garang after years in exile
November 26, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government announced on Thursday that it was expecting the return of Rebecca Nyandeng, wife of the founding leader of the governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang de Mabior, after nearly two years in exile.
Kiir blamed his former deputy in SPLM and vice president in government, Riek Machar, of masterminding the plot.
Machar denied the accusation and accused Kiir of introducing the violence as an attempt to silence his political rivals.
A report released by the African Union (AU) also dismissed the government’s claim of the alleged coup attempt and instead confirmed that the massacre targeting members of the ethnic Nuer civilians in Juba in December 2013 was a “state policy.”
He fled the national capital, Juba, at the start of the conflict as it was spreading to other strategic towns and places in the country. Machar later on became the head of the armed opposition forces but Rebecca, though her son, Mabior Garang joined rank with Machar, decided to stay out of armed opposition.
She however became vocal in the media accusing president Kiir of dictatorship and massacring thousands of members of the ethnic Nuer community in Juba.
However, speaking to reporters on Thursday, South Sudanese information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said the government was expecting a team of former detainees to return to the country on Thursday in the company of Nyandeng but the trip was delayed because they did not receive air tickets from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
But he added that the team might finally return on Friday.
“We understand that the former detainees may not be arriving today [Thursday] due to failure in the coordination,” Makuei told reporters on Thursday.
“The IGAD failed to send the tickets to the former detainees in Nairobi and Kampala. They are not in one place. Some of them are in Kampala and others are in Nairobi but we think they will come tomorrow [Friday] if they receive the tickets today,” Lueth said.
The government spokesperson further explained that the arrangement for the return of former detainees was made in a way that responsibilities were divided between the government and IGAD in which the IGAD mediation secretariat should have paid for the air tickets while the government would take responsibility for the provision of the internal transport, accommodation and security while in the country.
He revealed that the returning group comprise of former minister of telecommunications and postal services, Madut Biar Yel , former deputy defence minister, Majak Agot, former cabinet affairs minister, Deng Alor, former justice minister, John Luk Jok, former finance minister, Kosti Manibe, former presidential advisor, Rebeca Nyandeng de Mabior, former minister of national security Oyay Deng Ajak, former minister of youth Cirino Hiteng, former governor of lakes state, Chol Tong Mayay and former minister of transport, roads and bridges, Gier Chuang Aluong.
The group was equally accused of taking part in the alleged coup plot, detained in Juba for months and released to the Kenyan president to take part in the August concluded peace negotiations as a third party.
Minister Lueth however did not clarify whether officials were returning as part of their commitment to the implementation of the peace agreement in which they are stakeholders or just temporarily returning to participate at the first meeting to launch the opening of the office of the joint monitoring and evaluation commission, scheduled to take place on Friday, 27 November.
The leader of the former detainees, Pagan Amum, will not however return to the country with the members of his officials.
It was not also clear whether or not officials of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) would return to Juba for the meeting as they protested against the unresolved unilateral creation of the 28 states by president Kiir which is widely condemned internationally and by the region as a violation of the peace agreement.
The opposition faction has also been accusing the government of carrying out attacks on their military bases in the country, including the latest Tuesday air raid by government’s helicopter gunships on their cantonment area in Mundri county, west of the national capital, Juba.
(ST)