Akol, Machar met Museveni in Khartoum: spokesperson
October 14, 2016 (JUBA) – Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni last week met in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, with Riek Machar leader of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) and Lam Akol, leader of the rebel National Democratic Movement (NDM), Sudan Tribune has learnt.
He told Sudan Tribune that the meeting, which was initiated by President Museveni, discussed a lot of issues pertaining to how to correct the ongoing political and security situations in the country.
“Our Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar, met with President Yoweri Museveni in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Tuesday, 11 October. Dr. Lam Akol also took part in the meeting. The three leaders discussed a way forward to correct the current mess in the country that has resulted from the attack on July 8, 2016, which attempted to assassinate our leader,” said Dak.
He said President Museveni admitted that the political power sharing and the security arrangements in South Sudan should be reviewed following the collapse of both the August 2015 peace agreement and the transitional government of national unity.
“The trio discussed President Museveni’s initiative on how to review the political power sharing and the security arrangements, including future elections,” Dak said, without giving details.
He added that Machar had told the Ugandan leader that he would discuss the initiative with the leadership of the SPLM-IO.
On 25 September, South Sudan’s former Minister of Agriculture, Lam Akol, announced the formation of new rebel group, NDM. He said that his new faction will closely work with the SPLM-IO of Riek Machar.
The former leader of the parliamentary opposition Democratic Change Party (DCP) said he resigned and left the party in August because the its leadership refuses the armed struggle and believe in peaceful dialogue and non-violence to bring about change in South Sudan.
Dak reiterated that the SPLM-IO’s leadership was committed to a peaceful political settlement of the civil war, but has been forced to opt for an armed resistance against President Kiir’s regime after the 8 July incident.
He said without an initiative to correct the situation and resuscitate the peace agreement, the armed opposition will have no other option than to stage an armed resistance which will lead to the “overthrow of President Kiir’s regime” in Juba.
Earlier, the opposition faction blamed IGAD-Plus member states for allowing President Kiir to violate the peace agreement when he allegedly attempted to assassinate Machar at the Republican Palace (J1) on 8 July, and also attacked his residence, forcing him out of the capital and the country.
(ST)