Africa-Press – South-Sudan. SPLM-IO said there is an ongoing discussion between the parties to the peace agreement and the peace guarantors to ensure that the deadlock is resolved.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) said pulling out of the ongoing peace process is not an option, even as the opposition vowed to continue pushing for the parties to respect the provisions of the agreement.
The SPLM-IO was responding to the public’s worries after President Salva Kiir appointed Chol Thon, a member of his own party, as defence minister, a ministry that had previously been allotted to the SPLM-IO.
Kiir replaced Angelina Teny at the time when the two principals were expected to meet after the first talk ended without any resolution.
In an interview with The City Review yesterday, Puok Both Baluang said there is no need to panic, adding that SPLM-IO will never take the people back to conflict.
“We (SPLM-IO) are standing by our words that we are not taking the country back to war, and our words march our actions,” Puok said.
“This is what we want the other parties to the agreement, especially the SPLM-IG, to do: follow our footsteps,” he added.
He said that SPLM-IO would work for peace by all means to improve the lives of the rural population suffering due to the effects of the war.
“This is our message to the public, that we are for peace, and we will make sure that peace is implemented in letter and spirit for the sake of our people, who are in dire need of peace and stability,” he said.
Puok appealed to the parties to the South Sudan Peace Agreement to commit themselves to the peace agreement in order to realize peace.
“There is a need for parties to commit themselves to the peace agreement; it is through the peace agreement that peace and stability can be achieved in our country,” he said.
This comes even after a meeting of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau on Thursday passed a resolution that President Kiir should reinstate Angelina to her position as minister of defence.
“They (the SPLM-IO Political Bureau) called upon the President to reinstate Hon. Angelina Teny as the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Puok also reiterated the party called on President Kiir to revoke his decision to switch the defence ministry with the interior ministry.
Call for Interventions
SPLM-IO also wants peace monitors and the international community to jump in and solve the deadlock arising from the recent changes in the defence docket.
He said the ‘unilateral’ decision would jeopardize the implementation of the peace agreement.
“Therefore, we urged the international community to protect the peace arrangement from collapsing due to the continuous violations by other parties,” he said.
Puok also revealed that there is an ongoing discussion between the parties to the peace agreement and the peace guarantors to ensure that the deadlock is resolved.
“There was an ongoing discussion between the parties because there was an initiative from Sudan and Ethiopia.”
“We are hoping that there will be an intervention from President Salva Kiir to make the right decision and to make peace by respecting the agreement and rescinding the decision,” he added.
Puok urged South Sudanese not to live in fear, adding that the parties will focus on those areas that could bring permanent peace to the country.
“There is no need to panic; we are for peace, and the memories of the agreement are a witness to our commitment to the implementation of the peace agreement,” he said.
President Kiir has on several occasions assured South Sudanese that the country will never plunge back into violence.
“I have said many times that I don’t want to take the people of South Sudan back to war again, and I will stick to my word to keep the peace,” Kiir said during the celebration of the Holy Mass that was presided over by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the Dr John Garang Mausoleum last year.
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