SPLM-IO says South Sudan’s new FVP cut off from controlled areas
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President Salva Kiir (R) embraces Taban Deng Gai after his swearing-in
ceremony as FVP at the Presidential Palace in the capital of Juba,
July 26, 2016 (Photo Reuters Jok Solumun)
August 18, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese opposition faction led
by the former First Vice President, Riek Machar, said they have cut
off Taban Deng Gai, the new First Vice President, from all the areas
controlled by the opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement (SPLM-IO), including from its headquarters of Pagak in Upper
Nile region.
“Honourable Taban Deng Gai will not set foot in the SPLM/SPLA (IO)
controlled areas across the country, including the General
Headquarters of Pagak,” said James Gatdet Dak, official spokesperson
for Machar, the leader of the opposition faction, SPLM-IO.
“Let him deceive President Salva Kiir in Juba by claiming that he is
also a leader of the organization called SPLM/SPLA (IO). He may get
away with the deception in Juba because the two of them seem to be so
desperate and are comfortable with mutual deception. The President may
not bother to ask him about who is actually in charge of the SPLM-IO
controlled territories in the country, including the General
Headquarters, Pagak. But the reality is that he is alone leader with
no grassroots support or base. He is a defector to President Kiir,” he
added.
He said Gai can only visit President Kiir’s controlled areas, adding
he is in reality part and parcel of the faction led by the President
after his recent defection from the SPLM-IO.
Dak added that a directive was already issued by the leader of the
SPLM-IO, Riek Machar, dismissing and cutting off Gai, not only from
his previous contacts with the SPLA-IO army, but also with the civil
administrations of the SPLM-IO in the states and counties they
control.
He said Machar is in full control of the civil administrations and the
entire army of the SPLM-IO faction, and that Gai only "defected" with
his bodyguards and some of the SPLM-IO politicians “who were only
after positions in the government and not for the reform agenda in the
country.”
SURRENDER NOT COHESION
Dak also described the current working relationship between the new
First Vice President, Gai, and President Kiir as based on “surrender
and conspiracy to avoid reforms in the country” but not about the
claimed cohesion in the presidency.
“Their working relationship now is based on the fact that Honourable
Taban Deng Gai has surrendered while President Salva Kiir has embraced
him for a mutual conspiracy to avoid reforms and accountability in
South Sudan. It is about compromising and abrogating the August 2015
peace agreement. So it is never based on cohesion to do the right
thing as they claimed,” he claimed.
The opposition leader’s spokesman was responding to comments from the
presidency that their working relationship had gone well without
Machar in the implementation of the peace agreement.
He further argued that with the current situation to destroy the peace
deal by scrapping its important provisions, the country would never
implement reforms, further claiming that the two leaders have already
begun to dismantle some of the mechanisms that are crucial for
ensuring that reforms are implemented.
The declaration to immediately begin integration of SPLA-IO, although
Gai has no force to integrate, he said, is an indication of the desire
to avoid implementing security sector reforms which was necessary
before the amalgamation of the forces can take place.
For instance, Dak further argued that Gai has surrendered to President
Kiir the position of the speaker of the transitional national
legislative assembly which was very crucial for driving the reform
agenda among the lawmakers in the country.
This came after President Kiir insisted that he was the one to select
the speaker of parliament. Previously, Riek Machar wanted the position
to be contested by the two factions and the winner takes it.
“See how he has surrendered the position of the speaker. We in the
opposition wanted to contest for this seat because it is crucial for
driving the needed change and passing reform laws in the parliament.
We would have won the speakership position if it was contested
democratically. We had huge support from within President Kiir’s
members of parliament who wanted us to spearhead the change. This is
the reason President Kiir did not want democratic election for the
position. But now Honourable Taban Deng Gai has simply surrendered
this important position. It means he is not for change but only
interested to maintain the status quo,” he said.
“We will not however become magnanimous at the expense of scrapping
provisions in the peace agreement and nipping reforms in the bud. We
will ensure that the situation is corrected and the country goes for
reforms in various sectors in order to move forward,” he added.
He also said Machar remains the legitimate First Vice President of
South Sudan, despite his recent “illegal” replacement by President
Kiir.
The opposition leader has reportedly relocated to another neighbouring
country after a month of fighting with President Kiir’s forces who
reportedly hunted for him in the bushes around Juba, following clashes
in the capital which involved his small number of forces.
Dak claimed that Machar was relocated for his safety and in order to
have access to the rest of the world and the media.
(ST)
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18 August 23:52, by Mr Point
Dishonourable Taban Deng Gai has simply surrendered any interest
he may have had in democratic reform to the Dictator, Kiir
repondre message
19 August 03:17, by Shadrack Nuer Machut
Let the dogs bark & the camels keep matching ahead! Sayings
are not easier than done! Just let Riek come b’se he fled alone due to
his forces failure to succeed the coup. 1991, 2013 & 2016! 3 times
fully completed. What next when he returns? It’s another fighting
that’ll take either Kiir’s life, or Riek’s life or both.
repondre message
19 August 06:50, by Akook
Shadrack Nuer Machut please stop making look foolish in
the eyes of the world. If Pres Kiir is foolish does not mean we all
act like one as Dinka.
What does it feed to the right minds of human to think
Riek Machar went to Juba only 1,300 troops and mount a coup against
ten of thousands of troops armed with air power to tanks?
I am ashame of some of my fellow Dinkas’ claim.
repondre message
19 August 08:36, by Eastern
Akook,
As I have always maintained, you are a voice of reason
among your Dinka fraternity. Continue with the spirit.
repondre message
19 August 08:47, by Dengda
@ Akook
I felt for you, I hope the rest of 63 tribes would
understand and stop stereotyping whole Dinka. Because Dinka never have
been so low like this. It just foolish majority who even suffering
from hunger who are making useless representation using dinka name. I
am optimistic the majority of young intellectual Dinka don’t like the
trend. apart from diehard Aweil, Warrap and Bor South.
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