South Sudan’s rival SPLM factions to meet in Arusha
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June 24, 2015 (NAIROBI) – South Sudanese opposition factions of the
ruling Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) are expected to meet
in Arusha, Tanzania, this week for further talks on reunification of
the party, officials have confirmed.
JPEG - 26.5 kb
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (L), Tanzanian president Jakaya
Kikwete (C) and South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar (R) pose after
meeting for talks on 20 October 2014 in the northern Tanzanian tourist
town of Arusha (Photo: AFP)
The rebel faction led by former vice president, Riek Machar, told
Sudan Tribune that preparations were ongoing for their delegation to
travel to Arusha soon in response to invitation by the Tanzanian
government.
“The Tanzanian government’s ruling party (CCM) has invited our
movement to Arusha for resumption of the reunification process between
SPLM party factions,” Machar’s spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, confirmed
to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.
Akuei Bona Malwal, South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia, also on
Wednesday told Anadolu news agency that the reunification process
would resume in Arusha on Thursday, 25 June 2015.
But the rebel leader’s spokesman said there were indications that the
resumption of the intraparty talks may be delayed for two days until
Saturday, 27 June when it can start.
Dak also said this round of talks will no longer be tripartite between
three factions, but had become bilateral between only two factions -
SPLM-in-government and SPLM-in-opposition - adding the former
detainees faction had already dissolved itself and rejoined the
government’s faction under the leadership of president Salva Kiir.
“Our leadership has welcomed the expected resumption of the
reunification process in Arusha. This time it will be a bilateral
engagement between the opposition’s SPLM and the government’s SPLM.
Former detainees have become part and parcel of the government,” he
said.
The rebel leader’s spokesperson earlier explained that their faction
wanted the Arusha roadmap agreement to be translated into a new
constitution using the SPLM draft constitution as well as draft other
party’s basic documents such as code of conduct, internal regulations
and manifesto.
He said SPLM-IO would want to see the party’s highest executive organ,
the political bureau, to be restructured in accordance with the Arusha
agreement and its membership expanded, including expanding the
membership of the national liberation council.
Dak also added that the issue of leadership of the party should be
discussed in Arusha in view that a long awaited national convention
failed to take place in May 2013 when a new leadership should have
been elected by the convention.
He said their delegation could not go to Juba for such discussions
when the environment was still hostile as the war was raging on,
saying the talks should continue in Arusha or elsewhere, but not in
Juba or Kampala.
At least 8 out of 10 membership of the former detainees have reported
themselves to the national capital, Juba, and their leader, Pagan
Amum, already reinstated and sworn in as secretary general of the
ruling SPLM party in government.
But former security minister, Oyai Deng Ajak, and former deputy
defence minister, Majak Agot, have not returned to Juba. It not yet
clear whether they will follow suit or remain in exile.
Amum, after taking oath of office on Tuesday also announced that the
former detainees group, also known as G10, had dissolved itself and
was no longer in existence.
The group prior to 15 December crisis in Juba used to ally themselves
with former vice- president Machar in which they together propagated
for internal party reforms. When violence erupted they were
immediately arrested, detained and accused of allegedly attempting a
military coup together with Machar to oust president Kiir.
(ST)
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