South Sudan welcomes IGAD calls to form transitional gov’t without constitution

February 1, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan government said on Monday that regional calls to form a transitional government of national unity (TGoNU) with the opposition factions without waiting for a constitution is a welcomed decision.

“The government is in full agreement with that (boundaries commission) and this is what actually what we have been working for,” said government spokesman and information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth.

An extra-ordinary session of foreign ministers of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) issued a communiqué on Sunday after two days in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, urging the parties to the peace agreement signed in August 2015 between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader of SPLM-IO, Riek Machar, to form a transitional government and work on the constitution as a unity government.

The communiqué said unity government at the national level can be formed based on the peace agreement while the parties continue to dialogue on a number of states to be created. It also asked the government of suspend the 28 states until a boundary commission reviews the matter.

Lueth said the decision of IGAD to form the unity government and work out constitution later was the same demand the government had suggested earlier.

“So the IGAD communique is consistent with our (government) position,” he told Sudan Tribune by phone when contacted on Monday.

IGAD said the decision by President Kiir to create 28 states is “inconsistent” with the provisions of the peace agreement but added that this “should not delay” formation of TGoNU and the matter to be resolved through dialogue.

Failure to agree on the number states, IGAD added, the provisions of the agreement signed in August to end nearly two years of deadly conflict will prevail.

Lueth also insisted that the expansion of the country from 10 to 28 states is a popular demand of the people and cannot be revoked.

“The order establishing the 28 states has already provided for establishment of boundaries committee and this boundaries committee is the body which is supposed to address any border issue,” he said.

SPLM-IO, led by former Vice President, Riek Machar – who is the First Vice President designate in accordance with the peace agreement – has warned that it will not accept to form TGoNU unless 28 states are revoked.

(ST)