SPLM-IO confirms deal reached on states
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.)
June 17, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, has confirmed this afternoon that a deal had been reached by President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny on the allocation of the state.
This morning, the minister of presidential affairs Nhial Deng Nhial said in a statement that Kiir and Machar reached a deal on the state during a meeting at the state house in Juba on Wednesday.
According to Nhial, the deal gives the former incumbent TGoNU six states namely, Warrap, Lakes, Eastern Equatoria, Unity, Central Equatoria and Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
For its part, the Machar-led SPLM-IO will now have the oil-rich Upper Nile state, Eastern Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal. South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) will take the state of Jonglei.
In a statement this afternoon, James Gatdet Dak, the press secretary for Machar confirmed the development saying a deal had been reached and the SPLM-IO had been given the Upper Nile which it had long sought.
“Yes, a breakthrough was reached today on allocation of the 10 States,” he said on his Facebook timeline.
The said the ball will be in the court of the president once the parties nominate governors for the states.
“As soon as names of nominees for would-be Governors of the respective States are submitted by the Parties to the R-ARCSS, H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit will form the States governments any time and on any day,” Gatdet said.
“And yes, IO is allocated Western Bahr El Ghazal, Western Equatoria and Upper Nile states. This came in a meeting today between the President and the First Vice President, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon,” the senior SPLM-IO member said.
Facebook Comments