Deadlock: Machar protests presidential order on unified command
The First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar, and Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) rejected the presidential order on the unification of command of the unified forces, saying that it was a “unilateral decision.”
In a statement released on Saturday, Dr Machar downplayed the presidential order, claiming that President Salva Kiir only granted three positions of command in the military and two positions of command in the national police service to both the SPLM/A-IO and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).
“On Friday, March 25, 2022, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a Presidential Decree on the Unification of Command of the Unified Forces in which he relinquished three (3) positions of command in the military and two (2) in the National Police Service to the SPLM/A (IO) and SSOA,” Dr Machar said.
“In his decree, the President also directed the Chief of Defence Forces and the Inspector General of Police to immediately implement his order. However, it is to be noted that this is a unilateral decision.”
Dr. Machar argued that the forces should be composed of a 50:50 sharing ratio, citing Article 2.1.11 of the agreement, which implies that the R-TGoNU should have 50 percent of the forces and the opposition forces should have 50 percent of the forces. He added that the ratio was emphasised in the Khartoum workshop by IGAD and RJMEC in 2018, not to mention the two workshops on joint security mechanisms in Juba in 2019.
He claimed that President Kiir had dishonoured the agreements at a time when the guarantors were still holding a dialogue to settle on an agreement on the unification of command.
“President Salva Kiir Mayardit reneged on these agreements, which prompted the guarantors to intervene to resolve the matter. “Dialogue is ongoing and the parties have not yet reached an agreement on the unification of command,” he reiterated.
“The unilateral decision by President Salva Kiir is a violation of the R-ARCSS, and it is a clear rejection of the ongoing mediation process by the Republic of Sudan, Chair of IGAD. The SPLM/A (IO) condemns and rejects the unilateral decision. “Dr. Machar stressed that SPLM/A (IO) is committed to the ongoing mediation to resolve the matter,” Dr Machar stressed.
The Director for Information and Public Relations and the Acting Press Secretary in the office of the First Vice President, Puok Both Baluang, yesterday said they had submitted their proposal to the IGAD chair on the matter and that the ongoing dialogue had not yielded fruit yet.
“The mediation is still ongoing, and the parties have not reached an agreement yet. We have submitted our proposal and response to the chair of the IGAD, and we are still waiting for the final call on this,” Puok said.
He added that the situation was still tense, especially in Upper Nile in regard to the most recent clashes between the SSPDF and the main opposition movement, the SPLM/A-IO.
Attempts to reach the press secretary in the office of the president, Ateny Wek Ateny, were futile as the calls could not go through.
Traded accusations
This follows last week’s drama where the main armed parties to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) accused each other of starting a fight in the Upper Nile State.
The statements issued by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) contradicted each other.
The SSPDF claimed that the SPLM/A-IO had officially declared war against their forces at Malual-Gahoth, in Maiwut County, while the SPLA-IO claimed that the clashes took place at Guol, in Longechuk County, which is the SPLA-IO’s base.
The SSPDF Spokesperson, Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang, said, “SSPDF GHQs-Bilpam would like to inform our own ranks and file, the people of South Sudan, the region and the international community that our peace partner, SPLA-IO, is officially at war with the SSPDF, the national army.”
“Today, March 24th, 2022, at dawn, SSPDF Forces, under the command of Major General James Khor Chuol Giet, in Malual-Gathoth, Maiwut County, of Upper Nile State came under deliberate attacks,” he added.
In response, the SPLA-IO Spokesperson, Col Lam Paul Gabriel refuted accusations of attacks by forces commanded by Lt Gen Duit Yiech, whom he said was old, aged 80, and sick in a hospital in Ethiopia receiving treatment.
“This morning, the SPLA-IO read with dismay the baseless accusation made by the SSPDF spokesperson that the SPLA-IO forces under the command of Lt. Gen. Duit Yiech attacked the SSPDF forces in Malual Gahoth,” Col Lam said.
“The fight happened in Guol which is a base of the SPLA-IO in Longechuk County, not Maiwut as claimed by Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang. The attackers came from Malual Gahoth. That means the SSPDF are the aggressors.”
The SPLM/A-IO on Tuesday suspended its participation in the meetings of the security mechanisms and accused the SSPDF of continuing violations of the peace agreement by attacking their cantonment sites.
