Mabior Garang says no return to war in South Sudan

January 19, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Mabior Garang, eldest son of late John Garang de Mabior, founder of the South Sudanese ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), said the opposition faction of the SPLM-IO is committed to the implementation of the peace agreement and does not want a return to war in the country.

In a press statement he issued on Tuesday, Mabior, who is the chairman of the SPLM-IO’s national committee for information and public relations, accused “enemies of peace” of negative propaganda against the opposition faction.

He assured the public of the commitment of the faction to fully implement the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS) as well as the reunification of the ruling party.

“The SPLM/SPLA in Opposition would like to assure all members and the people of South Sudan of our undying commitment to the categorical implementation of the ARCISS and the Arusha Agreements,” Mabior said in the statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

“The SPLM/SPLA in Opposition would like to take this moment to dispel the negative propaganda being concocted by the enemies of peace are completely false and only intended (as usual) to derail the peace process,” he added.

He said the SPLM-IO’s advance team is in Juba to implement the agreement, despite the “many provocations by hardliners in the President Salva Kiir’s government.

Mabior, who is supposed to be among the 38-member team of senior officials who returned to Pagak on Tuesday, further assured that the team will return to Juba any time soon.

“The Movement has dispatched a team to Pagak for consultations with the leadership and shall soon return to continue with the implementation of the peace agreement. This should not be cause for alarm!” he said.

He assured the members and supporters of the SPLM-IO that “the SPLM/SPLA in Opposition is fully committed to peace and shall not entertain a return to war.”

Meanwhile the senior members of the advance team have arrived in Pagak on Tuesday and a meeting of the leadership is expected to begin on Wednesday.

The meeting will dwell on the outstanding issues in the implementation of the peace deal, including the controversial 28 states, completion of the amendment of the transitional constitution and demilitarization of the capital, Juba, as well as deployment of joint police and military forces in accordance with the provisions of the peace deal.

(ST)