Liech Community in Kenya lauds Kiir and Machar for extending Pre-transitional Period by 100 days

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Opposition leader, Dr. Riek Machar Teny shaking hands during the opening session of the 3rd round of face-to-face meetings held in Uganda’s Entebbe on November 7th, 2019 (Photo credit: PPU)

Nov 9th, 2019 (SSNN)-The Liech community in Kenya has welcomed and commended the extension of the Pre-transitional Period by 100 days by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Dr. Riek Machar Teny on November 7th, in Entebbe, Uganda.

“The Liech community Association in Kenya hereby express her special commendation to South Sudan President GEN. SALVA KIIR and the Sudan People’s liberation Movement (SPLM) Leader DR. RIEK MACHAR for reaching a consensus to extend the Transitional Period for another one hundred (100) days. The 100 days is an ample time that have now given the Stakeholders benefit of doubt to prove whether or not they are for this Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) signed on 12th September 2018.”

The community welcomed the extension of the unity government, saying it would give enough time for the parties to address the incomplete tasks impeding the speedy implementation of the peace process.

“We welcome these 100 days extension for it will enable us as a country to fully implement the key provisions that are provided for in this peace Accord,” said the Liech community’s Chairman, Dak Buoth Riek-Gaak.

“On the same note, we also congratulate President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, Sudan President Gen. Fatah El Burhan and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s special envoy Kalonzo Musyoka for facilitating this fruitful Entebbe meeting between President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar at the eleven hours,” the statement added.

The Liech community issues the following statements:

• We must say, this is a brotherly gesture on the part of the trio which cannot go unnoticed considering their busy schedules in their respective countries. These 100 days extension is a positive step that has so far reduce the unnecessary tensions elicited by the threat and pressure to form transitional Government of National Unity on 12th November, 2019. That call to form a government next week was nothing but a trigger for another round of conflict.
  Indeed, the earlier call to form the Government was premature and primitive to say the least. It is akin to harvesting unripe fruits in the garden before the exact time comes.
• Those who were of the idea to form a government on 12th November 2019 must be warned and discouraged from prioritizing their selfish interests. If we had gone ahead with the plan to form the Transitional of National Unity on the aforementioned date, we could be disliked, badly described and generalized as real Jokers who are out to waste other people’s time to do a work that we could not implement to the letter and spirit.
• Even the tears that we always shed when calling for outside intervention could be treated as crocodile tears. And eventually we would have no one to run to for ideas and assistance that we need in future. We could have created and imparted negative impression in other people’s minds about us.
• The Foreign Mediators and our International Friends have done their part. They brought us a good document that will help us address these emotive issues that had brought conflict in the country.
• Unlike the call by President Salva Kiir and company, the postponement call made by the Leader of SPLM-IO Dr. Riek Machar and the Leader of the NDA Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin was a reasonable one for we cannot form a government on the document that had not been implemented.
• The duo were speaking our minds when they says among other things that ‘‘the security arrangement and the boundaries and number of states must be discussed and agreed upon before any government is formed. As a community we strongly holds this opinion. As the duo were vehemently voicing these fundamental issues, we were behind them while praying hard that they succeed, and success they did. We really thank them for standing very firm on what is right for the country.
• Last but not least, with this 100 days extension, we would like to call on all Stakeholders to expedite this assignment of peace implementation if at all they want to form Unity Government comes February 2020.
• As one of the South Sudan diaspora community, we really want peace to return to our country so that we could return home and take part in the development and eradication of poverty in harmonious environment free from fear. Having stated that, the third call that we would like to make here is the call on all the stakeholders especially President Salva Kiir to showcase enough political- will. To us, this is the only mean and medium to fastract the implementation this Peace Agreement.
• It was the lack of political will that made us not to implement this agreement in the last 16 months. We have wasted this long period on rhetoric only, therefore we need to change tact now by ensuring that we give meaning to this 100 days.

Editorial Team

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