September 15th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s former army turned rebel leader, Gen. Paul Malong Awan criticized on Friday the revitalized agreement signed on Wednesday by President Kiir and First Vice President Designate Dr. Riek Machar Teny in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa arguing that the agreement lacks inclusivity as it failed to involve his group.
South Sudan government and opposition groups including the SPLM-IO signed a revitalized version of the 2015 ARCISS on Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
“Recently signed peace agreement seems to have fallen short in addressing the root causes of the SIVITY that could have been the fundamental cornerstone for its viablity,” Malong said in a statement seen by the Nyamilepedia on Friday.
He said his group only acknowledges a peace agreement which prevents further suffering of the South Sudanese people and not that one which only acknowledges elites’ interest.
“We acknowledge that peace which prevents further suffering of South Sudanese People is necessary and not that peace which addresses the interest of elites who desire to share power among themselves at the expense of common citizens,” he said.
He said like the international community (probably referring to the troika) his group has been calling for an inclusive peace agreement that bring together South Sudanso from wider political divide but has been rejected by South Sudan’s government.
“On persistent basis, the International Community has called for an inclusive peace process and we did the same but all our calls have been rejected by the government,” he said.
Hefurther urged that the agreement has fallen short of addressing the principle of inclusivity.
“However, this peace that has just been signed looks like overhauling a new machine with old spare conflict, above all it has missed the principle of INCLUSIVITY,” Malong said.
