Non-signatory group calls for new alliance to achieve fundamental change in South Sudan

November 4, 2018 (JUBA) – The opposition People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) has called for a new National Alliance for Democracy And Freedom Action (NADAFA) saying it would be a popular tool to achieve fundamental change in South Sudan.

The PDM which calls for a federal government in South Sudan with three regions is a non-signatory of the revitalized peace agreement and several times denounced the support of the IGAD countries particularly Sudan and Uganda to President Salva Kiir.

“It is our strong conviction that the elites alone, suffer a high deficit of incentive to bring decisive and fundamental change to transform South Sudan without the people driving the transformation mindset,” said the PDM Chair Hakim Dario in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

In his four-page call, Dario said the Sudan-Uganda brokered agreement was designed to pacify SPLM-IO by creating a role for its leader Riek Machar, as First Vice President. But, it ignored the inspiration of South Sudanese for a freedom, a fair power-sharing and social justice.

He went further to say that President Kiir, his would be FVP, and the three other vice-presidents “are not competent and credible to transform South Sudan after their pillage, and failure to govern in the public interest”.

The statement defined the NADAFA as a national “social justice and democratic political movement” to take back democratic control of the country, to “clean up the system, clean up endemic impunity, clean up the country and its shattered image to regain our dignity and control from the hands of corrupt elites”.

The politician leader did not develop on the nature and the structure of the NADAFA. But, from the sense of his call which is directed to the South Sudanese masses across the country, the new political body intends to establish a new political movement aiming to achieve a set of objectives the PDM failed to realize through the revitalized forum.

Last Wednesday 31 October 2018, President Kiir in his speech at the peace celebration day called on the non signatory groups to join the peace deal and said he would take an initiative in this respect.

Also, the SPLM-IO leader called on the holdout opposition groups to join the revitalized agreement and tasked his political outreach committee to contact them.

(ST)