Addis Ababa/Juba, January 17, 2016 (SSNA) — Former South Sudanese Vice President and rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar has issued an order, recalling back to rebel headquarters, Pagak, the entire leadership of the SPLM/A-IO’s advance team.
The leadership of the armed opposition say South Sudan’s President is using delaying tactics to prevent the implementation of the peace agreement.
The move comes as South Sudanese President Salva kiir refuses to scrap his 28 states expansion plan and a few days after rebel leader Dr. Machar asked his advance team to return to Pagak for more consultations.
Rebels say the 28 states decree, which was also rejected by the IGAD-Plus and the international community, violates the IGAD-Plus’s compromise peace agreement and accuse South Sudan’s President of trying to thwart the execution of the pact.
Kiir denies the charges, claiming that he is fulfilling SPLM’s taking towns to people policy.
South Sudanese rival leaders Kiir and Machar signed the internationally-brokered deal in August last year, raising hope for peace to return to the violence-ravaged young nation.
Meanwhile, the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) was told by a high-ranking government source who prefers anonymity that Kiir’s political future depends heavily on the 28 states scheme and that the IGAD-Plus proposed power-sharing deal threatens Kiir’s power.
“Kiir and his trusted allies are worry about the fact that the peace agreement will take some powers away from them. Kiir enjoys ruling by decrees; so it is very hard for him to lose that power,” declared the source.
The SSNA has also learned that the armed opposition is considering undisclosed options, should the peace accord collapses.