Hopes to form transitional government high after SPLA-IO police generals arrived Juba

March 25, 2016 (JUBA) – Prospects to form a transitional government of national unity (TGoNU) in South Sudan are high after arrival on Thursday to the national capital, Juba, of 22 police generals of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

The senior officers were airlifted from their General Headquarters of Pagak in accordance with the implementation of the peace agreement signed in August 2015 between President Salva Kiir’s government and the SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar, former vice president and first vice president designate.

“The arrival of these 22 police officers marks the beginning of the real implementation of the peace agreement and the security for Juba,” information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, who headed government’s reception team, told reporters at the Juba International Airport on Thursday.

The officers will form part of the Joint Integrated Police (JIP) that will, together with equal number from the government’s police force, take over the security of Juba for 30 months of transitional period.

Taban Deng Gai, the SPLM-IO chief negotiator and the leader of the opposition’s advance team in Juba, said the arrival of the police generals will pave way for return of first vice president designate, Riek Machar.

“Very soon, we shall receive the soldiers and police units that will be the bodyguards of Dr. Riek Machar Teny,” said Gai, speaking alongside Makuei to reporters in Juba.

“Maybe on Saturday or Friday and the following days, the bodyguards of the first vice president will be airlifted from Malakal and other towns to Juba and this will follow the coming of Dr. Riek Machar,” Gai added without specifying a date when Machar will come.

It is the first time armed members of the SPLM-IO returned to Juba since the conflict began more than two years ago.

Machar was appointed as first vice president last month by President Salva Kiir in accordance with the executive power sharing arrangement, but has declined to return to Juba without his bodyguards in the capital.

The arrival of the 1,370 first phase of the 2,910 military and police forces from the SPLA-IO was delayed over whether or not they should carry their PKMs and RPGs 7 along with their AK47s.

Troika countries which took the responsibility to transport the opposition forces said they were not willing to transport some of the weapons.

(ST)