South Sudanese opposition supporters reject return to Juba of advance team
January 19, 2016 (JUBA) – Discussants on various social media blogs who are members and supporters of the armed opposition faction, SPLM-IO, are calling on the leadership of the opposition faction, Riek Machar, not to return to Juba the senior members of the advance team who returned to Pagak on Tuesday.
Majority of the discussants also blamed the opposition leader, Machar, for “risking” the lives of his officials by sending them to Juba while the main sticking points such as the 28 states and deployment of forces were not yet resolved and implemented.
“Dr. Riek should have known that it was not safe to send his team to Juba when he and Salva Kiir did not resolve the 28 states,” said Gatwech Mading.
He said he suspected that the government’s plan was to lure in the opposition officials and hold them hostage while continuing to violate the peace agreement and implement its illegal 28 states.
Mading further alleged that the government was buying time to wage war during the coming dry season, citing refusal to implement the security arrangements and comments of war rhetoric from the government’s military officials.
Another discussant on facebook, Koang Deng, further alleged that should Machar return to Juba without his forces deployed first in the capital, he will be arrested by President Kiir through advice of the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), a tribal body representing major Dinka communities and runs the country as a self-appointed advisory body.
Others went as far as calling Machar’s action to send advance team prematurely as a “betrayal” and lack of care for the lives of others.
Majority of the discussants appealed to the leadership in Pagak to “seriously” discuss this time the reality of the situation on the ground as the government showed “lack of commitment to implement the peace agreement.”
They also called on the leadership to pass a resolution to withdraw the rest of the advance team from the national capital, Juba, back to Pagak until the outstanding issues are resolved in a neutral venue.
SPLM-IO MEMBERS DENIED MOVEMENT
There is also an outcry by the supporters of the SPLM-IO on the social media who claimed that their officials in Juba have been denied freedom of movement outside the capital.
They also alleged that some members of the advance team who wanted to visit their families in Nairobi were returned back from Juba airport on Tuesday by security personnel who prevented them from boarding a plane.
One of the senior members mentioned is Agrey Idri Ezbon, the deputy chairman of national committee for finance and resource mobilization in the opposition faction, who was briefly detained and told to get back to his hotel.
He was allegedly stopped from attempting to board a plane to Nairobi at the order of Akol Koor, director general of internal security in the government.
However, opposition leader’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, when contacted confirmed that a number of their members were prevented from leaving Juba at the airport, but downplayed the severity of the situation.
“Yes, we have received reports that some of our officials were prevented from leaving Juba. However, there is no reason for alarm. There are procedures through which they can be granted official permission to visit their families outside the country,” Dak told Sudan Tribune.
He also said the SPLM-IO was committed to implementing the peace agreement, but however added that the leadership in Pagak will deliberate on the situation over the stalemate and resolve on a way forward.
(ST)