Government at fault for the 100-Days-Extension -SPLM-IO
Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny addresses the nation upon his return to Juba in 2018 (Photo: Supplied)
Dec 9th, 2019 (SSNN)-South Sudan’s main opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) in a statement issued this morning, blamed the South Sudanese government for the 100-days extension of the Pre-transitional Period.
Mabior Garang De Mabior, Chairman of the SPLM-IO National Committee for Information and Publicity said that the government should be blamed for its refusal and reluctance to implement outstanding tasks that led to the extension of the formation of a unity government.
“The extension of the pre-transitional period of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), must be understood within the context of the regime’s intransigence and failure to implement tasks critical to the successful implementation of the negotiated peace settlement. In addition, the deal is a “Revitalization” of the collapsed Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS).”
The SPLM-IO further stated that: “It is important to understand the genesis of the 100 days extension, because the regime is trying to portray the extension as unreasonable demands from the SPLM/SPLA (10), as if we requested an extension for the sake of it.”
The opposition faction underscored that, despite the recent extension of the pre-transitional period, there’s no significant progress made in the implementation of the peace accord.
“The extension of the Agreement is now in its 26th day and there is still nothing to show in terms of the implementation of the security arrangements and the resolution of the number of states and their boundaries. Instead, the regime has decided – as usual – to shift goalposts, demanding an additional 23 states to total 55. The regime has gone as far as suggesting that the issue of the states can only be resolved through a referendum, when they were created overnight through the decree of an individual,” said Mabior.
Adding that, “This is mischief! The public should not forget that the 2015 Agreement was signed based on 10 states and the introduction of the 32 states was a counter insurgency tactic the regime used to muddy the waters – as it were – and create tension, which eventually precipitated the war in 2016.”
The group stated that the government created these 32 to jeopardize efforts of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-IO to bring about the much-needed change for all citizens.
“The regime introduced the 32 states as a way to undermine the SPLM/SPLA (10), which has a popular proposal of 21 states based on the old colonial districts, which have clearly demarcated boundaries – unlike the 32 states. This part of the vision of the shadow government in our party/movement and we hope to present it to the people of South Sudan during the implementation of Chapter VI. Parameters for a Permanent Constitution.
The SPLM-IO official pointed out that if the IGAD countries do not chart the way forward, the only way to end this deadlock between the Parties is for the country to revert to the previous ten states.
“There is no legal basis for the regime’s 32 states and if the stakeholders to the Agreement cannot find a compromise solution, then the logical thing to do is return to the 10 states, which has a basis in the laws governing the Agreement.”
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