Africa-Press – South-Sudan. An official says President Salva Kiir has promised to cooperate with the Agwelek faction to bring to an end the insecurity in the Upper Nile State.
On Wednesday, the Agwelek peace advance team led by the national Livestock and Fisheries Minister met with President Kiir over the conflict in Malakal and Panyikang Counties.
The two counties have encountered series of attacks in recent weeks, involving forces loyal to Generals Johnson Olony and Simon Gatwech.
The skirmishes have reportedly displaced tens of thousands of people across the state and to the neighboring Jonglei state.
Majority of the victims have taken refuge to the Protection of Cillian site in Malakal.
According to Minister Adigo Onyoti, the advance team also discussed with Kiir about the status of the 2021 Khartoum Peace Agreement between SPLM-IG and the SPLM-IO Kit-Gwang group.
“We discussed the security situation, first in Malakal town, the fighting going on now in Panykang county between Gen.Olony and Gen Gatwich,” he said.
Minister Adigo said during the meeting, President Kiir asked General Johnson Olony to come to Juba to enable them to address the challenges facing the agreement.
Adigo told Eye Radio that the president promised to talk to the First Vice President Dr Riek Machar to play a role in stopping the insecurity.
“The president promised that he is going to talk to the First Vice President to stop this thing and even the security people also were very positive that they going to cooperate with those of Agwelek for the implementation of this peace agreement.”
“And then secondly, why the white army despite the fact they under the first vice president are killing innocent people and the fact that the first vice president is in the same government, so we said we need the president to consult with the first vice president so that this uncalled for killing is stopped.”
When contacted, the Acting Spokesperson in the office of First Vice President Goanar Gordon Yien, told Eye Radio he was consulting on the matter.
The Kitgwang-Aqwelek factions in Upper Nile State fell out in recent months under clear reasons.
The renewed fighting started two months after the Aqwelek factions said it started implementing the security arrangements, a statement Simon Gatwich had rubbished, describing the process as fishy.
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