South Sudan rebels say will not participate in joint monitor workshop

November 15, 2016 (NAIROBI)- A senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation in Opposition faction allied to the former First Vice President and the leader of armed opposition, Riek Machar, said Tuesday it not will participate in the upcoming security workshop, citing absence of most of the senior commanders.

The officers, according to Ramadhan Hassan, are in active combat zones uncertain of the circumstances under which the security workshop will be conducted in absence of political initiative to reinvigorate the supposedly collapsed agreement.

“How will it work? Our commanders who went to Juba are not there. So who will participate in that workshop, unless it is a workshop for those in Juba and if it is those in Juba, then it has nothing to do with the SPLA-IO and the security arrangements under the peace agreement,” said Hassan.

The prominent opposition figure said he was afraid a lasting peace would be achieved in the country without addressing real matters covered in the deal.

(ST)