Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan opposition politician and former Chairperson of National Committee for Information and Public Relations, Mabior Garang De Mabior has called on President Salva Kiir to mediate peace within splinter groups of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) led by First Vice President, Riek Machar Teny.
At least 50 people were reported dead in the clashes that broke out on Sunday in Magenis between rival SPLA-IO factions. General Gatwech’s group has claimed the victory after five senior opposition commanders allied to Machar were shot dead during the clashes on Monday. Each side blamed the other for launching the attacks on rival forces in Upper Nile State which borders Sudan.
“Join me in this humble call on President Salva Kiir to intervene in the violent split within the SPLM-IO, which threatens to unravel the little semblance of an Agreement we have in our nascent Republic,” Mabior said in his Facebook post seen by Sudans Post on Wednesday. Mabior warned that the infighting within the SPLA-IO factions is putting the country at risk of relapse into another cycle of senseless violence.
“The mischief in the SPLM-IO has resulted in communal violence in Western Equatoria State. It also continues to cause communal violence in Greater Upper Nile Region. If these dark forces in our land are not stopped, this violence threatens to engulf the entire country in another cycle of senseless violence,” Mabior said.
Mabior called on the warring factions of the SPLM-IO to settle their differences peacefully. “There is an opportunity to resolve this split peacefully. This opportunity comes in the form of the Communiqué of the 73rd Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers. The Communiqué calls -among other things- for the SPLM-IO “to put their house in order,” he said.
He stressed the need to find ways to address the issue of Security Arrangements in order to build trust between the two factions. “There is a real opportunity in the aftermath of the Kit Gwang Declaration to reboot the stalled Security Arrangements. It is an opportunity to negotiate honest Security Arrangements which would build trust between the parties. This new Security Arrangements need not be part of a new Agreement; it can be added as an addendum to the already existing Agreement,” he said.
He called on the citizens to mobilize themselves behind the idea of honest implementation of Security Arrangements to restore peace and stability in the country.
“War will never resolve anything. It always ends in dialogue. We call on all our citizens to mobilize themselves behind the idea of honest implementation of Security Arrangements. It is the only way for all of us to enjoy peace and security in our land,” he said.
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