S. Sudan opposition Youth league calls for peace implementation

December 11, 2015 (KAMPALA) – Representative of the armed opposition Youth League based in Pagak town, headquarters of SPLM-IO, has called on South Sudanese people to refrain from being dragged into violations of peace agreement, urging different communities across South Sudan to stand in support of peace implementation.

Jal Gatluak Toch, who is secretary for information and external relations of SPLM/SPLA Youth League, in a statement he extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, said it was time for the people living within and outside the country to initiate mobilization in full support of the peace deal signed in August by president Salva Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar.

He said the leadership of the armed opposition under the leadership of former vice president, Machar, remained committed to a lasting peace in the country.

“The entire leadership of people’s liberation movement and army, Youth League, have accepted with the good heart the signed peace agreement for the resolution of conflict in South Sudan and committed to its implementation amicably,” he Toch said.

However, the group said it was time to give peace a chance by implementing the agreement in order to end the suffering of South Sudanese in various states, internally displaced persons camps as well as in refugee camps in the neighboring countries.

Toch accused the government of continuing with the attacks on areas under SPLA-IO in Upper Nile, Unity, Western and Eastern Equatoria states, saying this indicated lack of commitment to peace on the side of the governmet.

He urged South Sudanese to leave aside their egos, calling on them to observe patriotism in order to achieve peace in the country.

“We are calling upon the people of South Sudan as well as to our friends in international community to exert pressure on Juba government to realize the needs and the necessities of urgent launch of peace implementation,” he added.

He blamed IGAD for allegedly being weak by allowing the government to delay the implementation of the peace agreement, adding such reluctance to step forward may likely become threats to the whole agreement.

A team of 262 members of the SPLM-IO’ was supposed to travel to Juba on Friday as an advance team to take part in the implementation of the peace deal across the country, but the government refused to receive them, saying they were too many and constituted a security threat.

(ST)