SPLA-IO is not officially informed to open Renk river route: official

June 13, 2016 (JUBA) – A senior army general in the opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) under the leadership of the First Vice President, Riek Machar, said they have not been officially informed to open the river Nile route.

The presidency of South Sudan and the council of ministers have resolved on a number of security issues, but which have not yet been communicated officially to the implementers on the ground.

In the last week’s Friday council of ministers meeting, information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said the SPLM-IO leadership would direct their Sector One commander in Upper Nile state, General Johnson Olony, to allow the river route to open between Renk and Malakal which the opposition controls.

However, the top commander of the SPLA-IO in the Joint Military Ceasefire Committee (JMCC), General James Koang Chuol, said their organization has not been informed to communicate the matter.

JMCC is a body established under the August 2015 peace agreement to monitor the implementation of the security arrangements in the country.

“We have not been informed officially that there is food that is going to be brought from Renk to Juba. If we were informed the joint military committee would do that. But no one had informed the military committee officially,” General Chuol told the media.

He said they have not been informed about the items which the government wanted to ferry along the River Nile.

The river route connecting Renk and Malakal has been blocked since last year by the opposition forces of the SPLA-IO.

General Chuol also earlier said they have not been informed officially in writing to identify the cantonment areas for opposition forces in Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr el Ghazal regions, despite agreement in the presidency to establish the cantonment areas.

No cantonment areas have yet been established in the country.

(ST)