SPLM-IO hints Machar’s imminent return to Juba
March 31, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s First Vice President designate, Riek Machar, who leads the armed opposition faction of SPLM-IO, will soon return to the national capital, Juba, “after forces complete deployment”, his officials have hinted.
“We commend the ongoing arrival in Juba of our forces per the security arrangement in the capital. This is an important step in the process of the return of our top leadership,” said James Gatdet Dak.
He said once all the 1,370 troops of the opposition faction arrived in Juba and the demilitarization of the capital is verified, the top leadership will return. He added that the rest of over 1,500 troops will also begin to move to Juba by land or by river.
A total of 2,910 opposition forces are supposed to deploy in Juba before Machar could return. However, a recent understanding among the peace partners said Machar could return if a number of 1,370 of his troops arrive in Juba as a first phase while the rest of the forces could join at a later date.
Dak said his boss had been waiting for completion of the transportation of the forces to Juba for him to return.
“He has been waiting for the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission [JMEC] to officially inform him that all the 1,370 forces have arrived in Juba,” he said.
Dak also added that JMEC will too verify that Juba has been demilitarized and only forces of the joint integrated units remain in the capital.
According to the peace agreement signed in August 2015 to end 21 months of civil war in South Sudan, a security arrangement for the capital called for joint integrated forces that include 2,910 military and police forces from the opposition faction. President Salva Kiir’s government will deploy over 5,000 military and police forces and withdraw its excess forces to 25km away from Juba.
The agreement also called for deployment of the joint forces in the capital before the return of Machar and formation of a transitional unity government.
About 79 military personnel of the SPLM-IO have arrived in Juba so far with 39 arriving on Monday and another second batch arrived on Tuesday.
Over 1,250 are yet to be transported to the capital by Troika countries (US, UK and Norway) assisted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The opposition’s media official said it would be good if the partners facilitating the transportation of the troops to Juba do so expeditiously by transporting all the remaining forces in few days.
AU COMMENDS FORCE ARRIVAL
African Union (AU) has commended the beginning of the arrival of forces of the SPLM-IO in Juba, saying it paved the way for the return of the opposition’s top leader.
In a statement released by the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, it said the AU applauded the transportation of the forces as part of the security arrangements, pending formation of transitional government.
“This is an encouraging step towards facilitating the return of First Vice President-designate, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, as well as the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in accordance with the Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan signed in August 2015,” partly reads the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
“The Chairperson reaffirms the AU Commission’s unwavering support in fulfilling the remaining steps in the phased arrival in Juba of the SPLM-IO protection forces, as agreed within the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) mechanism,” it reads.
AU applauded former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, and his team for exerting efforts in the implementation of the peace agreement.
(ST)