SPLA-IO wants FVP Dr. Machar released from house arrest
Oct 17, 2020(SSNN) — South Sudan’s main armed Opposition, the Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition(SPLA-IO), fears that their leader, the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, could be under house arrest in the capital, Juba.
Dr. Riek Machar Teny, First Vice President and the Chairman of the SPLM/A-IO during an IGAD summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Photo Credit: Nyamilepedia.)
For the third time, the military leadership of the SPLM/A(IO) is calling on the peace guarantors and the region to allow the First Vice President to exit the capital to brief the military in the SPLA-IO strongholds.
In mid September, the Chief of General Staff of the SPLM/A-IO, 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, called on peace guarantors to allow Dr. Machar to visit them, a call that was later reiterated by the Inspector General of the SPLM/A (IO) police service, 1st Lt. Gen. John Jock Gai Bipal..
In its latest statement, the SPLM-IO Military Leadership shows more frustration as their first two statements and letters felt on deaf ears.
The silence of the peace guarantors, Dr. Riek Machar himself and the region sends mixed signals to the SPLA-IO military leadership which seems to have concluded that the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief is under house arrest.
“Moreover, it seems as if the Chairman and Commander in Chief, SPLM/A (IO) still being kept in a cocoon and as well, taking his time not at work but in the confinement in Juba simply because, if the Peace guarantors are still on their deaf ears to reply the calls made by the senior high ranking officials in the movement.” Reads part of a statement released today by the Spokesman of the SPLA-IO, Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng.
In addition to the long silence, the SPLM/A-IO military leadership is worried that the government is encroaching their territories in Easter Upper Nile, Central Equatoria and Western Bhar el Ghazal.
“Gen.Simon Gatwech, has also made a clear logical gesture and series calls to the peace guarantors and highlighted all necessary violations, by the regime, even up to now, the regime is publicly seen working contrary in order to jeopardize the agreement and has already planed to start a proxy operations in both Eastern Upper Nile, Central Equatoria and Western Bhar el Gazal, just purposely to develop the policy of regaining more strategic bases of the SPLM/A(IO).” Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath said.
“And the general has further warned the regime for making encroachments and deliberately pushing an insidious plan that would cause more damages and possible devastions in the country in the future, unless otherwise.” He continued.
When given a greenlight to tour his military bases, the SPLA-IO military leadership recommends that Machar should visit and brief the army in all the three greater reions of Equatoria, Bhar el Ghazal and also Upper Nile.
“Both letters aimed and favored the calls of the Chairman and Commander in Chief, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, who supposed to have visited and addressed his army and the entire civil populations in three (3) greater regions, Equatoria, Bhar el Gazal and Upper Nile before he could sworn into the office as the First Vice President, said generals.” The SPLA-IO military leadership said in its statement.
The spokesman reiterates that the army and civil populations are getting more anxious.
“As such, this has created an environment of anxiety, dreadful and consternation among the army and the civil populations in the movement as well.” Gatjiath continued.
The First Vice President and most of his leadership travelled to the capital in February this year with hope that the army would be trained and unified, and that the peace implementation would go smoothly; however, that does not seem to be happening.
Since Dr. Machar arrived in Juba, the heights of political violence have since dropped but the progress made in the implementation of the peace agreement is dim and insignificant.
Contrary, the South Sudanese leaders have focused more in mediating and bringing peace to Sudan more than mediating among themselves and bringing peace to their own people.
More than 4 million South Sudanese continue to put up with limited resources in the IDPs and refugee camps.
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