January 25th 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior member of South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, said on Saturday that his group will not be a part of the unity government expected to be formed in February unless the issue of states is resolved.
Last week, South African Vice-President proposed that the issue be handled through arbitration which may take up to 90 days to settle.
The SPLM-IO issued a statement and said it disagree with the proposal and called for the deployment of regional troops to provide security in Juba and other main areas.
Other opposition groups have also began to reject the proposal. The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and the National Democratic Movement (NDM) said the issue must first be resolved before the parties could form the government.
An opposition official said on Saturday that the South African Vice President was returning to Juba this week to try – once again – to resolve the issue of the states.
Speaking during an interview on the Juba-based Radio Miraya this morning, senior SPLM-IO official, Elias Nyamlel said they will not accept the government formation unless the issue is settled.
He said the issue is an important part of the revitalized peace agreement and should be resolved during the pre-transitional period.
