SPLM-IO leader praises South Sudan’s pre-transitional body
October 23, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar Riek Machar praised the progress achieved by the National Pre-transitional Commission (NPTC) saying a successful peace implementation depends on their success to work together.
During its first meeting in Khartoum, the committee members endorsed the NPTC’s internal regulation, a roadmap to implement the pre-transitional activities, started preparation of the provisional budget.
Also, the committee, which takes its decisions by consensus, further decided to work as an independent national team without consideration to their political parties in order to better coordinate and oversight the pre-transitional period activities.
“Dr Riek Machar praised the agreement of the committee members to conduct its activities as a national body. and stressed that the success of the revitalized peace agreement depends on the success of the work of the committee and the trust among its members,” said Manawa Peter Gatkuoth SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Public Relations.
“He, also, renewed his personal commitment and the Movement’s commitment to peace and stability and not to repeating the mistakes of the past,” the SPLM-IO media official added in statements to Sudan Tribune after the meeting with the NPTC.
IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Ismail Wais and the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) Deputy Chairperson Augostino Njoroge, also commended the decisions of the committee and the spirit prevailing during the discussions.
Speaking about the meeting, Wais said it is “A good demonstration of the goodwill. f all the committee work like this one (…) the South Sudanese can really be happy and hopeful for peace coming to the (country)”.
For his part, Nhoroge made similar statements saying “How happy as JMEC we are”. “They did not meet as parties they met as a committee and a lot of work has been done today and we hope they would conclude tomorrow with plans for the way forward, how they are going to do their work (…).
Manawa said during their meeting with Machar, the committee members however identified at least two challenges they are facing the violations of the ceasefire agreement and the financing of the NPTC’s activities.
The SPLM-IO official who took part in the meeting said that the government dedicated some one hundred million South Sudanese pound for the committee besides one million dollar. Also, the NPTC decided to open an account at the South Sudan Central Bank and another account outside the country for the foreign support to the implementation process.
“The committee members asked Machar to participate in the fundraising campaign for the pre-transitional activities,” he said.
The foreign donors said their support to the peace implementation process would depend on the parties’ commitment to the revitalized agreement.
Regarding the ceasefire violations, Machar asked the NPTC to organize a meeting of the South Sudanese army chief of staff and the SPLM-IO chief of staff to discuss the different violations of the ceasefire.
Manawa said a meeting between the two generals was organised immediately after the NPTC meeting with Machar. This is the second one of its kind between them.
Further, Machar said he ordered his forces to release the two generals of the Federal Democratic Party-South Sudan Armed Forces (FDP-SSAF) who were arrested in Kotkea near Nasir town of Latjoor State in Upper Nile region.
Commanders Major General Riek Gach Gatluak and Brigadier Ochan Nyuot were arrested in Kotkea, which is a SPLM-IO controlled area, according to Manawa.
“In fact, they two SSAF officers went to Kotkea seeking to recruit some SPLA-IO elements ahead of the troops’ cantonment and other security arrangements which will start soon,” he added stressing that the SSAF has no presence in the site.
The NPTC will hold its next meeting in Juba on 3 November.
(ST)