South Sudan’s SPLM factions form working group for reunification matrix
July 28, 2017 (JUBA) – Various factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) have signed the Entebbe Declaration to operationalize the Arusha Agreement on the Reunification of the SPLM.
The declaration was signed on Thursday at State House Entebbe witnessed by President Yoweri Museveni. In furtherance of the objectives of the SPLM reconciliation and unity, the factions have resolved to establish a working group to revitalize and operationalize the implementation of the Arusha SPLM Reunification Agreement.
The working group shall develop a matrix for the implementation of the Arusha Agreement with specific timelines and shall report to President Museveni after one week beginning Monday 31st July 2017.
Members of the working group, according to the communique, include Simon Kun Puoch, Rebecca Joshua Okwaci and Oliver Moris Benjamin from SPLM-IG; John Luk Jok, Kosti Manibe and Majak D’Agoot from SPLM-FDs; Richard K. Mulla, Tijwog H. Agwet and Lubna Abdelgani from SPLM-IO.
The groups also called upon the SPLM-IO of Dr Riek Machar to join the process of reconciliation and unity of the SPLM. The faction resolved that SPLM groups and cadres, who are not part of the Arusha Agreement, join the reconciliation and reunification process.
The meeting agreed that SPLM cadres at the grassroots, countrywide and in the diaspora embrace the new spirit of reconciliation and unity for the interest of the South Sudanese and their country.
The initiative is a response to President Salva Kiir’s request asking Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to mediate the reconciliation and unity of the various SPLM groups based on the Arusha SPLM Reunification Agreement.
A meeting held on May 25th, 2017 and attended by the three SPLM Groups: SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO and SPLM-FDs. Another meeting was held and attended by SPLM-IG and SPLM-FDs. President Kiir also attended a meeting chaired by President Museveni on 20th July 2017.
Speaking at the working group meeting on Thursday, President Museveni noted that the agreement by the SPLM to reconcile and work together to implement the Arusha Agreement will lead to peace and feed into the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process in South Sudan.
Museveni also met delegations of other South Sudanese political parties: David William of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), General Thomas Cirilo Swaka Chairman of the National Salvation Front (NSF) and Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, Chairman of the South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNNC)
(ST)