SPLM-IO says they only negotiated with Kiir on their share of states
South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar walks after a meeting on the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace deal in Juba, on October 20, 2019. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
June 19, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan’s SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny said they only negotiated with President Salva Kiir, over the state dispute to only secure their share.
This comes after the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) which is led by Josephine Lagu criticized the two main signatories of the revitalized peace agreement of carrying out a process in contravention with the revitalized peace agreement.
Kiir and Machar on Wednesday met at the State House J1 and agreed to divide the states between the parties to the revitalized peace agreement signed in September 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The agreement gave six states to Kiir’s group, three to SPLM-IO and one state, Jonglei, to the alliance.
Following the announcement that an agreement had been reached, the SSOA issued a statement rejecting the outcome of the Kiir-Machar meeting and said they would not accept Jonglei state instead of Upper Nile which they long sought.
In a statement this afternoon, James Gatdet Dak, the Press Secretary for Machar said the main armed opposition group had only consulted with President Salva Kiir Mayardit to only secure their share and did not talked to Kiir on the share of other parties.
“Inform the stakeholders in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the general public that we, as a Party to the R-ARCSS, have agreed to the allocation to our Party the gubernatorial positions for the three States of Western Equatoria, Western Bahr El Ghazal and Upper Nile,” Gatdet said in the statement seen by South Sudan News Now.
“Hence, the leadership of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) consulted with the leadership of the other major Party, the ITGoNU (SPLM-IG) which resulted in the agreement to allocate the three States to the SPLM/SPLA (IO).
“And this is after we also learnt that other Parties had been separately consulting with the major Party (ITGoNU), leaving us with no other choice but to also consult with the major Party and reach an agreement. This is also in the interest of our people to see the States Governments formed.
“SPLM/SPLA (IO) did not decide on behalf of any other Party, be it ITGoNU, SSOA or OPP, on which State to be allocated to which other Party, or which Party gets nothing. We focused on our part of allocation during the consultations involving the ITGoNU.
“Since OPP is supposed to be allocated one State governorship per the responsibility sharing ratio in the Agreement, and in case it has agreed to let go its State ratio based on any understanding, we are therefore of the view that this understanding, if any, should be done in writing, signed and be annexed to the R-ARCSS as an Annexure. This is to avoid it being seen or equated to a violation of the responsibility sharing ratio which is provided for in the Peace agreement.”
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