South Sudan ruling party denies collapse of peace deal
August 5, 2016 (JUBA) – The ruling party in South Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) chaired by President Salva Kiir, has dismissed suggestions that a peace deal signed in August last year has collapsed.
Amum said the leadership of South Sudan has failed its people and the nation and therefore the need for the United Nations to take it over for a period of time.
However, a senior official of the SPLM in government accused Amum of inviting foreigners to meddle in the internal matters.
“The SPLM party denounces in the strongest terms the call by Pagam Amum, the former Secretary General and leader of the SPLM Former Detainees (SPLM-FDs) for the intervention of the international and regional communities in the internal affairs of South Sudan. Political coercion insights conflict, no one should understand this more clearly than Pagan; a politician whose actions contributed to turmoil in the country,” said Mangar Amerdid, adviser for political affairs and mobilization in the ruling party.
“The false claim being perpetuated by Pagan that the peace agreement has collapsed is his way of attempting to revive his political career. The peace agreement has not collapsed and it is being implemented daily by the various political organs of TGoNU [Transitional Government of National Unity]. The primary interest of TGoNU is to serve the people of South Sudan while working to restore peace and stability in the country,” he added.
He warned that any intervention that is not approved by the TGoNU that aims to invade or meddle in the affairs of a sovereign State will “warrant a strong response.”
He also said the new first vice president, Taban Deng Gai was nominated by the opposition faction of the SPLM-IO, adding there was nothing wrong about it.
The party adviser’s official was responding to the conclusions that the peace deal has collapsed and that the nomination of Gai was not consistent with the August 2015 peace agreement and did not qualify the internal process of the SPLM-IO.
“The mandates of the Peace Agreement signed in August 2015 stipulate that the First Vice President (FVP) of the TGoNU shall be selected by the SPLA-IO. This was successfully accomplished with the appointment of Taban Deng Gai by the SPLM/A-IO as the FVP and was warmly received by President Kiir,” he argued.
AMUM AND AGOOT TRAITORS?
Another official described Amum and Majak Agoot as traitors for supporting regional and international intervention in South Sudan’s conflicts.
Gordon Buay, a South Sudan diplomat residing Washington DC, vowed that he would block Amum from conducting a rally in the US to mobilize support for the international intervention.
“I am appealing to South Sudanese in the U.S not to attend Pagan Amum’s rally scheduled for August, 11 in New York city at UN Building. Mr. Amum’s agenda is to push for UN takeover of South Sudan,” Buay wrote in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
“Pagan Amum and Majak Agoot drafted a document entitled “United Nations Temporary Administration For South Sudan” to urge the UN Security Council to pass a resolution for UN Trusteeship.”
He said any South Sudanese who will attend the rally organized by Amum will be declared a “traitor.”
“Pagan Amum is the number one traitor now followed by Majak Agoot. These traitors think that the only way to get to power is through UN Trusteeship,” he added.
He said “in few weeks, the supporters of South Sudan independence and territorial integrity will organize “a rally of 10,000 compatriots in the U.S who will go to UN Building to condemn Pagan Amum as a traitor number one.”
(ST)