New South Sudan FVP Taban Deng has no army to integrate: SPLM-IO
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Taban Deng Gai addresses delegates after he was sworn-in as South
Sudan FVP inside the Presidential Palace in the capital of Juba, July
26, 2016 (Photo Reuters/ Jok Solomun)
August 14, 2016 (JUBA) – The official spokesperson for the leader of
the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
(SPLM-IO), has described as “self-deception” President Salva Kiir’s
cabinet resolution on Friday which resolved to integrate SPLA-IO
forces, saying the “illegal” new First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai,
has no army to integrate.
“This is a self-deception. The new illegal First Vice President, Taban
Deng Gai, has no army to integrate, or actually to surrender to his
new commander-in-chief, Salva Kiir,” said James Gatdet Dak, official
spokesman for the SPLM-IO leader, Riek Machar.
Dak was responding to the resolution passed in Juba in the Council of
Ministers meeting chaired by President Kiir during which it resolved
to integrate SPLA-IO forces.
Information and Broadcasting Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, announced
on Friday that the cabinet had agreed to approve the establishment of
the cantonment sites and to integrate members of the SPLA-IO forces
after getting into the assembling points.
But Dak said SPLA-IO army is with Machar including the top army
leadership, saying Gai had only defected to President Kiir’s faction
with his bodyguards.
He said even another SPLA-IO General which Gai lured to his side in
Unity state also defected with only less than 50 soldiers, adding
“unless this is the number they wanted to integrate.”
Dak however claimed that the numbers of SPLA-IO forces are in hundreds
of thousands and are all loyal to Machar across the country.
“SPLA-IO forces are the ones now besieging Juba, closing all routes
from different directions. They are in full control of Juba-Yei road.
They are in full control of Juba-Mundri road. They are in control of
northwest of Juba city. They have cut off Lobonok, southwest of Juba.
They are closing Juba-Bor road. Soon they will also close Juba-Nimule
and Juba-Torit roads. And they will soon move on Juba to capture it
and restore law and order. These are the members of the SPLA-IO forces
under the leadership of Dr. Riek Machar, the legitimate First Vice
President and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA-IO army,” Dak said.
He said the cabinet should have asked Taban Deng Gai if the SPLA-IO
forces who have been fighting President Kiir’s forces around Juba and
closing all roads are the ones he claimed to be commanding and should
be integrated.
Dak also said the peace agreement did not provide for immediate
integration of the SPLA-IO forces, but rather gradual “reunification”
of the two armies “unit by unit” after implementation of security
sector reforms which would take at least two years into the
transitional period.
He said Kiir and Gai are violating the peace agreement to avoid
reforms, saying Gai was trying to surrender the SPLA-IO army as he has
already surrendered the parliamentary leadership to President Kiir.
He also said it will not be surprising if Gai will also surrender and
approve the controversial 28 states.
(ST)
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