South Sudan peace not around the corner: first vice president

March 28, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai Wednesday has expressed doubt that peace was around the corner, saying differences between the armed and non-armed opposition were huge and wide

“Some people say peace is around the corner. I would say it is not. The gap between what the government proposes as the way to resolving the current situation and what the opposition is proposing is huge and wide. It is difficult to close,” said Taban Deng Gai in a statement broadcast by the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation.

Gai was speaking at a political function organized by his faction under the theme ‘give peace a chance’ attended by high-level delegates including Minister of Public Service and Dhieu Mathok, head of the Youth league, who underlined the importance of peace and security in governance.

The South Sudanese former rebel chief negotiator who turned an ally of the incumbent president made his remarks after a decision by the IGAD countries to end the confinement of the former First Vice President Riek Machar in South Africa and to bring to a country that has no direct border with South Sudan.

The decision angered the government in Juba because all its strategy aimed at keeping him held in South African even.

Gai further claimed that Troika countries were still advocating regime change through the opposition.

“The opposition groups are saying the president must either accept Riek Machar or go together. For us, this is a nonstarter. If Riek comes to Juba, it means another war and our people are not ready for it,” he said.

(ST)