Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit is demanding that First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny divides his share of unified army command with former SPLA-IO chief of staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual claiming that the breakaway opposition commander is still a member of the fractured group, an official involved in talks on composition of the unified army command has said.
Based on the revitalized peace agreement, South Sudan parties shall unify their forces to form a professional national army. 50% of those forces shall come from President Salva Kiir’s South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), while the remaining 50% shall come from opposition groups such as the SPLM-IO and South Sudan Opposition (SSOA).
In August, SPLM-IO spokesman and minister of water resources Manawa Peter Gatkuoth said President Salva Kiir Mayardit was demanding 60% – a 10% increase in his share based on the agreement – of the army command and the composition of forces. He said Kiir wants SPLM-IO and other opposition forces to take only 40%.
However, speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, a senior opposition official in Juba who is involved in talks to set up the unified army command said President Salva Kiir Mayardit has demanded that the SPLM-IO divide its share of unified army command and troops with General Simon Gatwech Dual claiming that the opposition commander who defected from the group in August after an attempt to remove Machar is still a member of the SPLM-IO.
“What is happening at the talks is that President Kiir’s side of the talks is asking that he takes 60% of the army command and of the army composition. He said the remaining 40% come to us the opposition and after we divide the 40% based on the number of opposition groups that are supposed to contribute troops to the unified army, the SPLM-IO divide its share with the forces of Olony and Gatwech Dual,” the opposition official said.
“This is unacceptable because we cannot be lectured on who is a member of the SPLM-IO by other parties to the revitalized peace agreement. President Salva Kiir from day one has been creating problems within the SPLM-IO so that he weakens us so that the peace agreement fail,” he added.
